Taking Flight
by Clydell Humphries
Summary: Kay's prosecuting career has begun, and the Yatagarasu is flying. But two months in, she finds one case is more problematic than she could have imagined. It places her, Edgeworth and Gumshoe in more danger than they're prepared for while uncovering secrets of the past and present, but will they pull through? How far can things go in a raven's earliest flight? Sequel to Trapped.
1. The Party

**A/N: I really hate doing author's notes at the start of a chapter, but this one is necessary. Please bear with me!**

**Firstly, this is a sequel to my story 'Trapped'. If you haven't read it already, then I suggest you do before reading 'Taking Flight', though it is not completely needed. I'm only suggesting it because there are a few references to 'Trapped', and this story will make more sense for those who have read both. If you don't want to read the first story for whatever reason, you should be able to understand this well enough. **

**This story is set six years after AAI (three years after 'Trapped'). Kay is 23, Edgeworth is 32 if the information on the AA wikia is accurate. This **_**is**_** a Kayworth story, and their relationship is continued from 'Trapped', but there is a mystery involved as well.**

**And that's about all. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Three years.<p>

It'd been three years since Kay's life had changed drastically.

The first reason was she'd been involved in a rather messy kidnapping case, both as the investigator and the hostage at one point or another during it. The case had long since ended, but she knew it wasn't something she'd ever be able to forget, altering her perspectives.

It had also been the commencement of her relationship with Edgeworth, deciding to forget the past and move forward into the future. And, to her delight, things had progressed smoothly since. Life wouldn't have been the same without him.

Neither was what was bothering her, as she walked at a pace that was both too fast and too slow across the foot path. She would occasionally stop to take a deep breath before continuing, the tightness in her stomach becoming unbearable.

She wanted to get back to the apartment. But at the same time, she dreaded it.

Just under three years ago, she had started at law school. She chose a course that both Edgeworth and Franziska had recommended; it got her the qualifications faster, but was a good deal harder, the workload almost ridiculous. They knew she'd be able to cope, her determination clear.

Kay had been eligible, as she'd been working as Miles' assistant for so long, giving her background experience. The course had been costly, but she knew it was the right time to open her father's bank account, untouched since his death, and use the money that was legally hers. She'd later found out that he'd taken the very same course, sending a surge of pride through her.

With that path, it would take three years to complete. And the three years were up; now she'd actually prosecute, with Miles as her official mentor for the next six months.

That was providing she'd scored the mark required on the exams. Assuming she'd passed at all.

Kay's stomach did another backflip. The results had been posted already. Everybody else had received theirs, which surely meant hers had arrived as well. Sitting on the doormat at home would be the letter which changed everything. Three years of work; staying up late revising the facts, learning what seemed like a million different laws - many of which she'd couldn't imagine a case where she'd need to know them – and it all came down to the three hours she'd had to complete the exam.

She felt slightly sick as the apartment building came into view against the setting sun. It was getting late. How much longer now? Had Edgeworth arrived home already? She hoped he had; she'd given him permission to open the letter and read its contents, knowing that if she hadn't passed, he would know the best way to break the news.

And in another instant, she seemed to be in front of the door.

Hands shaking, she fumbled with the key, at long last inserting and turning it. The door swung open, and her first reaction was to look down. The doormat was bare; no letter. That meant he was home, and had read it already. It seemed like a comfort.

"Miles?" she called, somehow able to keep her voice steady.

"I'm in the kitchen," was the reply.

Not wanting to waste any more time, she quickly entered, scanning in the scene before her. Miles was there, leaning slightly on the counter. Her eyes quickly found the envelope next to his hand, which was opened, the letter folded on top. Looking up, she met his eyes, and her unease grew. It was time likes these when she hated how he could hide any emotion.

The silence was unbearable. Finally, she broke it. "You've read the letter?" It was a stupid thing to ask.

"Indeed I have," he answered smoothly. "It arrived in the morning with the rest of the post. It's strange that you left early enough to miss it."

Whether he was pointing out her attempt to avoid knowing the results to hint that everything was alright, or doing it just to lighten the mood, she didn't know. "I've been in the city with Ema. There was a forensics display at the museum she wanted to look at."

"For the whole day?"

Kay couldn't help smiling slightly. "No, afterwards we had lunch at Très Bien." She wasn't sure why they'd chosen that particular restaurant, but knew she wouldn't be going back there anytime soon. As well as the food being terrible, she still couldn't quite place which gender the chef had been. "Then… well, I decided to walk back here."

"It's probably better you took so long, really," Miles murmured. He picked up the letter, extending his hand out to her. "Here. You should check the results."

The butterflies returned to her stomach. "I-I suppose so." She opened it, purposefully looking away. "Can you at least give me a clue about what's said in here?"

"I could," he admitted, "but I think it would be better if you saw the results for yourself."

She nodded weakly, finally turning her attention to the page. There was the stuff she'd expected to see; the course name, date the exam was taken, national average, mark needed to pass… and finally, she saw what she had been looking for. Her jaw dropped, and she blinked a few times, reading the score over and over again.

"Congratulations, Prosecutor Faraday."

At that moment, lights from other areas of the apartment that she was sure had been turned off previously lit up, people seeming to come from anywhere and everywhere. Before she knew what had happened, she was surrounded by them, the air full of cheers and compliments. A grin rapidly flew onto her face as the information registered.

She'd passed. Not only that, but with more than the mark needed for Edgeworth to become her mentor for the next half year. She had to stop herself from jumping into the air with joy.

"Way above average, pal!" Gumshoe announced, beaming widely. "Well done!" By his side, Maggey was saying similar things, excitement overwhelming her.

"Thanks, you two!" Kay replied. "Gummy, you have no idea how worried I was! This was beyond anything I could have imagined, really."

"We always knew you could do it, pal," he told her. "No doubts at all! That's why I organised the party… but I'm not sure why this is a completely good thing. I mean… now you can boss me around, and cut my salary, and-"

He was beginning to look so gloomy that Kay had to interrupt him. "Gummy, I won't cut your salary, I promise. I'll try not to boss you or Ema around too much either." She smiled. "Thank you for throwing the party."

"It's nothing, pal. You deserve it." He scratched the back of his neck guiltily. "Besides, it's Mr Edgeworth who's paying for most of it."

Looking at the people present, Kay realised that most of them were prosecutors that she'd gotten to know over the years, as well as some old friends. Uncle Badd had now begun talking to Gumshoe, and she saw that Ema and – judging by the blue beanie – Phoenix were in a conversation, laughing about something. She spotted Trucy in the corner of the living room, amazing a few people by changing the colour of one of the lamp covers.

"Hey! It's my babe Kay!"

Of course. If anything tonight went wrong, it would undoubtedly be Larry's fault. Edgeworth's childhood friend was the complete opposite to what Kay had expected. She always pictured him friends with people more like himself, but Butz was something else altogether. "Hey, Larry," she replied.

"So, now you're a lawyer like Edgey and Nick, huh? And while you're still young… nice going!" He winked at her, and she had to prevent herself from laughing. Larry was an idiot, there was no other way to put it. "Things seem to be going pretty well for you! But my beautiful Sasha…" His eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

Kay sighed. "What happened?" she asked.

"S-She… she left me! To get back together with her old husband!" Larry wailed. "He was a jerk, I tell you! Just because he had a good job and money, it's not like I'm a bad guy, right, Kay? Sasha was so beautiful… my cutie pie!" He wiped the tears, suddenly looking much brighter. He gave her thumbs up. "But I suppose I'll have to move on now. After all, I'll still have you, right Kay? You're better looking."

"Would you be hitting on Edgeworth's girlfriend, Larry?" Phoenix asked, joining in on the conversation. Ema was next to him, raising an eyebrow. "Probably not the smartest thing to do. Both he and Kay could sue you for harassment now if they wanted to."

"Better be carefully, Larry," Ema advised. "I have all the science I need on my side to find evidence so I can help them out."

"How could you be so cruel, Nick?" Larry howled. "I wouldn't have _really _done anything, I swear."

"Done any of what, now?" Edgeworth asked, appearing behind him.

Larry jumped, looking back at him hastily. "Nothing! I would have done nothing, really! Um… oh look, Franziska!" He scurried off, and Phoenix sighed.

"Out of all the people he could have fled to, he chose von Karma," he muttered. Soon after, they heard the crack of the whip, along with multiple exclamations of 'you utterly incompetent _fool!'_. "I better check on Trucy, apparently she has a new magic trick she wanted me to see."

"Hmph! Magic!" Ema scoffed. "Everything is controlled by _science_! I might- oh, damn." He eyes seemed to be avoiding an area close by. "Prosecutor Gavin's looking this way. I better go. Congrats, Kay!" The two retreated, with Kay and Edgeworth left behind.

"How are you feeling, Prosecutor Faraday?" he asked.

Kay sighed. "I have no idea," she admitted. "I would say happy, but it seems too tame of a word. This is like some sort of crazy dream. I'm scared I'll wake up any moment to find that none of it was real."

Miles shook his head. "I can assure you that this is no dream. You are now a prosecutor of the law, passing your exam with one of the top marks for those who've sat it this year. Which reminds me." He quickly checked his pocket, holding out his palm with a shining badge sitting in the middle.

Kay recognised it immediately. "I already get one of these, huh?" she murmured. Taking it from him, she pinned it to her shirt. It seemed to stand out against it a little too much, but she liked it nonetheless.

"Yes. It arrived with the letter, but I feared people might damage it if they all wanted to see at once. Especially with Larry and Maggey present. It also would have given away the results immediately." He raised an eyebrow. "You're going to wear it? Most prosecutors are reluctant too."

"Just for tonight." She smiled, leaning forward to hug him. It had been what she'd wanted to do as soon as she'd heard the news, however she hadn't had the chance. "Thank you, for everything you've done for me these past three years."

She knew that she wouldn't have been able to do it without him. He'd spent countless nights staying up with her, patiently going through things that she hadn't understood or just helping her with revision in general. He'd kept her going when she thought that she wouldn't have been able to continue.

"It was my pleasure," Edgeworth replied. "You've worked hard, you deserve the mark you received. Your father would be proud."

Kay couldn't help but grin, but it was quickly cut short. "Oh God," she muttered. "Who invited _him_?"

"Who would you be referring to?" The embrace ended, and he looked over to her she was staring. "Ah, Prosecutor Payne. You'd prefer it if he wasn't present?"

The one in question was trying to get into a conversation with Franziska, failing. He quickly moved on, deciding that the best course of action was joining a larger group of people and hope for the best. He seemed out of place in the happy, bubbly atmosphere.

"Yes," Kay replied, following him with her eyes. "Out of all the prosecutors I've met, I dislike him the most."

"Is that so?" Edgeworth said softly. "Well then, I take it that you won't be informing him that he was the… inspiration? The one who made you decide to become a prosecutor in the first place?"

"He was my inspiration for all the wrong reasons," Kay reminded him, thinking back to that day. It had been so long ago, yet she could picture it clearly in her mind.

* * *

><p>They had been walking along the corridors of the prosecutors' office, a mere three weeks since the Jones incident. Kay had been in fairly high spirits, until she overheard voices coming from the sitting room herself, Gumshoe and Edgeworth usually occupied. Her and Miles stopped walking, peering into the room through the slightly ajar door. She wasn't bothered by Winston Payne being there, per say, but more what he was doing.<p>

Gumshoe was sitting next to him, looking troubled. "Sir, I'm not sure that this evidence adds up quite right."

"How so?" Payne asked, continuing to write. He didn't seem interested in what the detective had to say.

"The witness's testimony seems a little off, doesn't it?" Gumshoe voiced. "It seems like it has too many holes, stuff he's avoiding to talk about. We should probably try and get it out of him; otherwise we won't know what happened properly."

Payne scoffed, finally looking up. "That's ridiculous. The witness seemed like a trustworthy person to me."

"Looks can deceive," Gumshoe muttered.

Now he had Payne's full attention. Laughing, the prosecutor spoke. "Detective, are you suggesting that the defendant is _innocent_? Because I can assure you that if those are your thoughts, you might not enjoy the number next on your pay cheque."

Detective Gumshoe seemed to be fighting the option of not eating for the next week against continuing a corrupt case. Eventually, he fell silent. It was a heartbreaking scene for Kay. Before she could do anything, Edgeworth had opened the door further, walking in the room in a way that not even Payne could miss it.

"Prosecutor Edgeworth!" he greeted, standing. "Did you want to use this sitting room?"

"Only to explain a few things to you," Miles replied. Upon receiving the confused look, he continued. "Firstly, only I – or the chief of police or prosecutors - have the authority to alter the detective's salary in any way. As such, I would appreciate it if you didn't use such a meaningless threat against him. Furthermore, the context of it was completely out of place. For disrupting a crime scene or in general not doing his job properly; yes, perhaps Detective Gumshoe would require some form of penalty. Although I would hardly call pointing out a flaw in the witness's testimony 'not doing his job'." He took another step forward. "Need I remind you, Prosecutor Payne, that it is a detective's duty to find the truth?"

"W-Well," Payne stuttered, unsure how to respond. Next to him, Gumshoe was looking between shocked and flattered.

"Let's see, then," Edgeworth murmured, picking up a page of notes. He scanned it briefly, expression seeming to become graver by the moment. "I'm sure somebody of your _experience _can see the contradictions in your argument? Or did you choose to purposely overlook them in the hopes that the defense attorney was a _rookie_?"

"C-Contradictions?"

"Quite a few of them," Edgeworth continued. "The witness states that the defendant was spotted near the murder scene at 3:00? That doesn't add up with about…" He quickly counted, "_three _pieces of evidence." He shook his head, thrusting the sheet of notes back to Payne. "I would highly advise speaking with the witness again before the trial tomorrow. You may find yourself in some trouble if you don't."

Payne was silent for a few moments, opening and closing his mouth at random in the hopes of forming a decent reply. "I was just about to do that," he muttered eventually, standing. "Come, detective."

"I think that, after the trouble you've caused him, Detective Gumshoe has no obligation to offer his assistance further."

"Yes, of course," Payne said quickly. "I'll just be leaving now." He quickly gathered his belongings, retreating a moment later. He bustled past Kay, who couldn't help but glare at him before stepping into the room.

Gumshoe stared up at Edgeworth in awe. "Pa-… sir, that was amazing!"

"Please don't mention it," the prosecutor requested. "I only said what needed to be said. How men like that are allowed to even pass law school is beyond me… the case was completely full of holes! No wonder he's called the rookie killer, I doubt he's defeated anybody else."

"That was disgusting…" Kay managed to murmur. Both Edgeworth and Gumshoe looked at her. "Not what you did!" she added quickly. "Just… how could he? Does getting a guilty verdict matter so much to him that he'd lead such a hole-filled case? How is that the right thing to do? The real killer could walk free!"

"We know, Kay," Edgeworth replied. "But many prosecutors such as Franziska and myself were like that once. They change."

"That's my point," the thief stated. "Both you and Franziska _did_ change. But Payne hasn't, and after all these years, I doubt he ever will. He can't be the only one." She thought for a moment, something rising within her. "I'm going to become a prosecutor." She announced suddenly.

The room was silent for a moment. "Pardon?" Edgeworth finally asked.

"I said that I'm going to become a prosecutor," Kay repeated. "I won't do it for the guilty verdicts; I'll do it to find the truth. I'll lead fair cases, not corrupt ones. It won't alter a lot when I think about it… but it's better than sitting here and watching things like _this_ happen. If I get at least a few criminals punished truthfully then it'll be worth it."

Miles shook his head. "Though I agree with you whole-heartedly, you cannot decide your future so quickly. Things like this need to be thought over well before making the decision. It's a lot of work to put in, becoming a lawyer."

"He's right, pal," Gumshoe added. "Are you sure?"

"Don't you think I can do it?" Kay teased.

Edgeworth sighed. "That's not what we-"

"Then I've already decided," the Yatagarasu said firmly.

* * *

><p>"To think," Edgeworth said, bemused, "that a prosecutor who you found horrific was more of an inspiration than one who genuinely wanted to find the truth. I'll admit that I find it odd."<p>

Kay nodded. "I did too, looking back on it. But I suppose it opened my eyes. Though people like my father, you and Franziska actually realise that it's not all about the 'perfect' score, you were the only ones I'd ever really been around. I'd forgotten that there were others out there who weren't like that. It made me determined to join the good side."

"Well then… I hope the justice system is prepared for Kay Faraday, the truth stealing Yatagarasu," Edgeworth told her, unable to help but think that she would bring a new sort of life to the courtroom.

"They'll have to be," Kay responded. "I'm not sending out a calling card till I'm finished."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, not much happened this chapter. I will try to get into the main plot as fast as I can while maintaining a somewhat decent writing style, promise :P**

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**

**~Clide**


	2. Flying

"You're sure this will be enough evidence?" Kay asked, unable to mask the nervousness in her voice.

Edgeworth chuckled, gesturing to the items on the table. "Kay, a certain defense attorney I knew would go into court with half the amount of evidence you have and somehow pull through. You'll be fine." He picked up her notes, flicking through them. "These are incredibly detailed, I'm impressed. Might I make a suggestion, however? It will be useful to have a summarised page of notes to study tonight, and to take in to court tomorrow with the rest of the evidence. If they need a further explanation, take out the full description."

"Right," Kay agreed. "Any other tips?"

"None. Just as long as you have everything ordered and know the facts, I can assure you that you'll be fine."

The day before her first trial found Kay feeling stressed and nervous, which was to be expected. She was thankful that everybody was patient enough to put up with her in this state, occasionally fretting about the smallest of things that could be wrong with her argument. It was a fairly simple case, when she thought about it. It didn't stop her worrying either way.

She picked up her pen, reaching for a new piece of paper, however it was quickly snatched away from her. She looked up at Edgeworth, who was shaking his head. "What?" she questioned. "You just said that I needed to write a summary, didn't you?"

"You've been working all day," he retorted. "If there's one thing I've learned, it does no good to obsess over a case when you already have the answers. Especially not your first case."

"I'm not prepared!"

"You're right, you're not," Miles admitted. Before he could elaborate, the door crashed open, making her jump.

"Kay Faraday!" Franziska announced, cracking her whip to the ground. One look at her expression would tell anybody that she wasn't happy. "How dare you waste my time by being late!"

"Huh? For what?" Kay was confused. She knew that Franziska was in the country – she had been at the party, after all – however she rarely saw her. She had a bad feeling that the visit wasn't just to wish her luck.

Franziska sighed, looking at Miles. "Miles Edgeworth, is there a particular reason you decided to leave her uninformed of the plans for today? Or did it simply slip your mind?" She looked as though she was going to use her whip again.

"I left her in the dark for two reasons," Miles quickly explained, eying the whip cautiously. "The first being that she could have possibly felt under pressure, knowing that her time was being used up so close to the trial. The last thing that a new prosecutor needs is stress. And secondly…" It almost looked as though he was trying to hide a smirk, "she isn't exactly _fond_ of today's choice of activity."

By now Kay was beginning to feel beyond uneasy. "Okay, what is going on?" she demanded. "What am I doing today?"

"My little brother has informed me that you're relatively prepared for the trial," Franziska began. "Information, courtroom procedures… you've learnt it all. But there's one thing you're lacking, and I'm astounded that you came here without it." She was referring to Kay's newly assigned office, placed with the rest of the newcomers in the prosecutors' building. It was considerably smaller than Edgeworth's, but she didn't care. She was, to use Payne's term, a rookie.

"So what is this oh-so-important thing I'm missing?" Kay asked.

"What you're wearing, of course," Franziska replied. Upon seeing the shocked expression, she rolled her eyes. "Did you believe that you'd be able to wear what you are now and be taken seriously? I've seen strange clothes choices before, but the majority of them are, at the very least, professional. Though your current clothing is… _unique_, it is also childlike." Her whip attacked the ground. "The court of law has no time for children, Kay Faraday! You need to make an impression, to show them that you won't be beaten."

Kay felt like kicking herself. What she would be wearing in court tomorrow had completely slipped her mind. It was obvious that she wouldn't be able to wear what she usually did, the soft blend of colours that she rarely altered. Then the situation hit her completely. "Wait…" she murmured, "does this mean… you're taking me _shopping_?"

Edgeworth was right. Unless it was in some sort of theme park, or chocolate aisle in a store, Kay hated shopped. Especially if it was for clothes. And going with _Franziska _seemed to make it the worst possible situation she could imagine.

"I believe that is correct," Franziska replied. "Now hurry up."

"Miles, couldn't you have warned me?" Kay demanded. "I-I… argh!"

Franziska grabbed her arm, beginning to pull her towards the door. "He didn't tell you because he knew you'd react like this, obviously," she explained. "I'm doing this as a favour, so I'd suggest you don't try to run away. I do have a whip."

Kay struggled for a moment before giving up. The grip on her arm was stronger than she expected, and Franziska had a point; she _was_ carrying a weapon. So instead, she glared daggers at the man now a few feet away from her.

"My apologies, Kay. But it needs to be done," Edgeworth said. "I would have taken you myself days ago, but… I doubt this is my area to assist in."

The thief only continued to glare at him, until she was dragged through the door and out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready?"<p>

Standing outside the courthouse, preparing to enter, was probably one of the most nerve-racking yet exciting things Kay could be doing. She knew that the trial wouldn't begin at the exact point of her entry – she still had to get to the lobby, then the actual courtroom, obviously – but nonetheless it meant so much. No longer would she be in the comfort of Detective Gumshoe and Miles Edgeworth. They'd just be among the others who were watching the trial, apart from the small part in the beginning when Gumshoe would give an overview of the case.

Her smile was genuine, however. "Yes. I think I'm prepared."

"We're with you all the way, pal!" Gumshoe announced cheerfully. "I even revised my testimony more than once this time!"

Miles looked at him, displeased. "That's probably something you should practise before every trial, Detective. Nonetheless, I'm sure it will help." He turned back to Kay, taking something from his pocket. Gumshoe seemed to leave them at that point. "Though I stand by what I said about the attire choice, I still felt as though it was missing something."

In truth, Miles had not known what to expect. After seeing the many bags of clothing Franziska had brought back from their trip, he didn't think there was much hope in Kay finding something that truly suited her. But looking at her, he couldn't help but smile. This was Prosecutor Faraday, the one who was about to begin her career. At the same time, it was Kay Faraday, the girl who aspired to be the second Yatagarasu and watched too many children's shows. It was the perfect balance between two lives, both professional and unique.

"Huh?" Kay questioned as the rectangular black box was given to her. "Oh, come on. You didn't have to get me anything, you know."

"I was aware of that," he said. "But there's an important part of you that otherwise would have been left out of the courtroom today. To have it missing would be catastrophic."

With this new information in mind, Kay carefully opened the case. She grinned. It was a small, bronze badge, with a very familiar shape however. Miles was right; to have the symbol of the Yatagarasu missing wouldn't have been right. She ran her fingers over it carefully, unable to believe it.

"Thank you," she murmured, quickly pinning it to her jacket. "I feel a little more complete with this now. Do I look alright?" Appearance wasn't something she usually worried about among other things; however everything seemed to matter this day.

"You look better than alright. I can't help but feel this is the real Kay Faraday standing before me," Miles told her. "You look beautiful."

"And ready?" she enquired. "Do I look ready to take on whichever defense attorney I'm against today?"

"But of course," he assured her. "You look prepared enough to present enough evidence to prove you argument quite few times over." He stepped forward. "However, as I originally said, you look beautiful as well."

Kay felt her face heat up, unsure of how to reply. It turned out she didn't need to, because his lips soon found hers in a quick kiss.

"It suits you," he complimented, afterwards checking his watch. "It's probably best if you go in now. I'll be there when the trial begins."

She quickly nodded, trying to ignore the stab of nervousness that had suddenly hit her. "Okay then. I'll see you later." Adjusting her bag with the notes and evidence over her shoulder, she opened the doors to the courthouse, stepping inside.

It didn't take her long to find the assigned lobby, and, after double checking that it was the right one, enter the courtroom. The first place she found herself looking was the defense's bench. She spotted a thin man, face pale and trembling slighting. Edgeworth had informed her that she was up against somebody else who was also new, but she'd somehow expected them to look much more confident than she felt. The man's co-council was muttering things to him, last minute words of advice that he would likely forget the moment the trial began.

Noticing that they were now looking at her, Kay straightened up, heading for the bench that was now hers. Placing her bag on top of it, she began to unpack her evidence and notes, organising them neatly. As Edgeworth had suggested, the summarised version was going to be of use. It would have been too much to read out every last detail of every piece of evidence unless she was requested to.

Faster than she thought possible, the rest of the courtroom filled with people, the judge entering soon after. Her stomach seemed to drop, and she now felt sick. A quick glance to the other side of the room showed that her opponent was feeling the same, as he was trembling more violently than before.

"The trial of William Penn will now began," the judge's voice rang out. He said some other things, but Kay couldn't hear them. Her heart had begun beating faster.

Could she really do this?

She wondered if this was how her father, Franziska and Edgeworth had felt on the day of their first trials. Had they been as calm and collected as they usually were? Or did they have some nerves that were kept hidden far too deep within them? Somehow, she knew she couldn't compare their situations. Two of the said prosecutors had an obligation to win; Manfred von Karma would have accepted nothing but a guilty verdict. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't know enough about her father to know for sure how his first trial had gone.

"T-The d-defense is ready, y-your honour," the other attorney managed to stutter.

It was now her turn to speak.

She glanced around the courtroom, taking in a deep breath. Would her voice come out as broken as the defense's had? She couldn't let that happen, allow herself to sound so weak and unsure. Her eyes fell on Gumshoe, who was giving her an encouraging smile, one that said she'd be alright. It lifted her spirits slightly, but not enough. They then drifted to Edgeworth, among the many others.

And just by seeing him there, she felt confidence well up inside her. She'd half-expected him to look impatient, giving her signals that she had to speak. But he wasn't. His expression was soft, with no pressure present. She received the message he was sending her.

In the end, it didn't matter whether she got a guilty verdict or not. All she could do was present a fair case. He would be there to help her though everything, as he had done for so long now.

"The prosecution is ready, your honour," she announced clearly and calmly, a smile even beginning to show at the corner of her lips.

The fight of the second Yatagarasu had begun.

* * *

><p>"Told you you'd do fine," Gumshoe announced proudly, patting her on the back. He had a slightly disorientated look about him. "I don't think I've seen the defense look so shocked in my life! There you were, a newbie, slapping back their arguments like… like… the Steel Samurai!" He grinned widely. "Then… <em>objection<em>! They'd try to fight back, but you'd go even louder. _OBJECTION_!" He clumsily pointed his finger to the other end of the table, and Kay placed her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. A few people from the tables surrounding were beginning to give them odd looks.

"I think you've had too much to drink, Detective," Edgeworth pointed out. "However, I will admit that you had a very powerful exclamation. The defense's was feeble in comparison."

Kay smiled, but shook her head. "The defense wasn't all bad, you know. He just chose a dodgy first client."

"That's the problem. If there's one thing I know about being a defense attorney, it's that trust is a key element of the job. Yet you could tell that the defense _didn't_ believe that their case was solid, even before you began speaking." Edgeworth sighed, taking a small sip from his wine glass. "Once trust fails, there's little hope of succeeding."

"I suppose so," she murmured. This time, she couldn't help laughing after seeing Gumshoe try to perform another lawyer impression. "Oh, G-Gummy," she spluttered in between fits. "If only Maggey could see you now!"

"It's probably best she doesn't, honestly," Miles mused. "She does send her apologies that she couldn't make it, however."

Her first case had been won, in a blur of excitement she felt. Edgeworth had taken herself, Gumshoe, Larry, Franziska and Ema out for dinner to celebrate it. And after a few too many drinks on everybody but Edgeworth and Kay's behalf (he preferred an occasional glass of wine, while she was feeling to excited to care), they were all watching with amusement as Gumshoe and Larry got stuck into a debate on whether waiters or detectives were better.

"I see loads of pretty girls," Larry slurred, grinning. It was his latest job, after his debut in the art world hadn't gone as planned. He looked over to where Ema was sitting, winking. "Sorta look like you, but smiling more. But still, you should come to the café sometime."

Even with the alcohol, Ema scoffed. "You wouldn't be too happy either, if you studied overseas for years and didn't get the job you always dreamed of when you arrived back here. But still, now I can ditch Gavin and help Kay out in investigations instead. Glimmerous fop."

"That's my job!" Gumshoe protested.

"Miles Edgeworth," Franziska began, who was sitting closest to him and Kay, "how could you have allowed them to become this intoxicated? If you don't do something soon, they'll start to argue further." She hadn't had as much as Gumshoe, Larry and Ema, but there was no doubt in Kay's mind that if she tried to lash somebody with her whip, she'd miss.

"You can't deny that you've had more than enough alcohol, Franziska," Miles replied smoothly.

She sighed, but it didn't seem as tight as usual.

"I'm still not sure how I've allowed it to get this out of control," Edgeworth admitted quietly to Kay. "Perhaps allowing for all beverages to be on my tab wasn't the best decision. Please don't be expecting this whenever you win a case, I'm not sure I can handle it."

The thief laughed. "Loosen up," she said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "A celebration is only to be expected! I've won my _first_ case!"

"Brilliantly, too," he replied. "How are you feeling? You looked so connected with the case while in court, I barely saw you look down at your notes once."

"I can hardly describe it," Kay murmured. "I wonder if you feel the same. Every time I got just a bit closer to convincing everybody of the truth, tearing down the opposing argument… a thrill went through me. It was exhilarating."

"I know the feeling." Miles looked at the clock opposite them. "It would probably be best if we began to head home now. It's gotten later than I thought."

Despite the excitement that ran through her, Kay did feel her eyes began to droop. "Mm. You're right; we should leave before Larry and Gumshoe have any more drinks. We ought to drop them off home, Ema and Franziska too." She didn't want to think of how all four of them would get home otherwise.

"I was just thinking that. They're in far too much of an intoxicated state to drive themselves." Miles rose. "Alright, everybody. We're going now, and since none of you are driving, you should probably come as well."

Ema, Franziska and Gumshoe nodded. But, as the Butz does, Larry protested. "What's the deal with this, Edgey?" he demanded. "You can't call quits yet! I won't let you! I'm staying here."

Edgeworth sighed. "Feel free, Larry, but as soon as I leave, you'll have to start paying for your own drinks."

That was enough to get through his head.

After paying the bill, they somehow got everybody loaded into Edgeworth's car. Franziska refused, pointing out that there weren't enough seats, and that she had money for a taxi. Given that she was in a better state than the other three, Edgeworth agreed.

Aside from the laughter that was because of nothing in particular, it was easier than either Kay or Edgeworth imagined, dropping of their three passengers to their respective flats. Once they did, it didn't take them much longer to arrive back to their own apartment.

"Man," Kay said, kicking off her boots while trying to fight a yawn, "we could have kept on going, I bet you. I'm not so tired anymore."

"Larry would have killed to hear you say that," Miles muttered, wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're too much of an influence on me; if you stayed then so would've I."

"So what about you, Miles Edgeworth?" Kay asked, turning around. After meeting his slightly confused gaze, she grinned, covering his mouth with hers. With every bit of softness, he returned the kiss, carefully stroking her raven hair. His fingers intertwined in the locks soon after, tugging ever so slightly as the kiss deepened. For just a moment, they broke apart. "Are you ready to turn in yet?"

"Hm…" he murmured, pretending to think about it. He gently kissed her on the forehead. "Perhaps… I could stay up a little longer."

* * *

><p>The envelope was carefully opened, her fingers shaking slightly.<p>

The opener didn't usually care for letters; usually it would just be another pathetic excuse, another plea for more time. But she recognised the writing on the front, and her heart leapt. It had been so long since they'd spoken. She slowly slid the paper out, afterwards unfolding it. Her eyes scanned the contents quickly.

_I hate to get you involved, my dear._

_But there's something I need you to do for me, and it can only be you that does it. Attached to this letter, there are a set of instructions. I need to you read through them, memorize them, and then burn them and this letter completely. Make sure this is done well._

_In case things go badly for me, you know what to do. Burn it. Let it crumble to the ground. It will be done two months from today's date, to ensure you have enough time._

_With my dearest love,_

She read the name at the bottom of the page, a tear escaping her. Again she read the letter, her heart pounding as a mixture of emotions ran through her.

The first was excitement. Finally, she'd be seen as useful! They'd love her completely, and forget about what had happened in the past, and the consequences it had. She could prove she wasn't a dead weight, and that despite the accident, she was able to help them. Then they'd really love her, not just because they had to.

Some fear was also present in her mind, fear that she would somehow make a mistake, and ruin the plan. She quickly pushed it aside. Failure wasn't an option. She needed to succeed, need to win back the love that was once more than just pity.

That's all she wanted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I really, really don't wanna spam you guys, but there are two things I'd really like you to take a look at. The first is a picture of Prosecutor!Kay I drew, and my interpretation of how she looks in the story. I never really described her clothes in much detail (when I tried, it made the whole thing sound like a chick-lit), so I thought drawing it would help. It can be found here: http: / charcargo. deviantart. com/#/d4uyhls**

**The second is more important. A lovely, lovely reader of mine is in the process of turning 'Trapped' into a comic. It's being done amazingly, so I really advise you check it out! http: / ashbender. deviantart. com/ And comment once. Or twice. It deserves lots of love :P**

**Anyway, that's all! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**

**~Clide**


	3. Beginnings

It had been two months since her first case.

Kay arrived home, exhausted. It'd been another long day, but rewarding in the end. More had been uncovered in the case she'd been in charge of, opening many options. Now she just needed to work out the ones that were really possible.

Kicking off her boots, she collapsed onto one of the couches, yawning. She closed her eyes for a moment, and only opened them when she felt a warm object being pressed into her hands.

"Did I wake you?" Miles asked softly.

"Not sure," she admitted, taking the mug. "Thanks, though. I shouldn't be this tired right now." Looking into it, Kay noticed that it was hot chocolate, just what she needed. Grinning, she took a sip. The blend of flavours was perfectly balanced, and she savoured them.

"How are your preparations for the trial tomorrow?" Edgeworth asked, leaning over the coffee table in front of them. It had a few case files atop it, as well as a mountain of notes.

Most evenings were spent that way, preparing for trials. Kay thought that it would be what she disliked most about being a prosecutor, all the preparation, but she found she enjoyed it. She'd taken on a variety of cases since her debut, and thought that the work load was easier than what she'd had to endure while taking the course. It was also more interesting, which helped her get through it.

"Well, thanks," she replied. "I was thinking just earlier of a way the defendant could have gotten to the crime scene, now that we've found out the door was locked from the outside."

He nodded understandably. Though he no longer attended every one of her trials, he knew which cases she was working on at different times. "Did you manage to come to a conclusion?"

"After looking through the blueprints of the building, it must have been the above-head air vents," she replied. "It's the only way; the windows are way too small. And since maintenance was scheduled that day, he could have exited without looking too suspicious, disguising himself as a worker. I'm calling one of them as a witness tomorrow; he was stationed at the only place the defendant could have exited while doing the repairs."

"Very good," Edgeworth said approvingly. "That does seem like a logical conclusion."

"Thanks." She stopped there, her mind beginning to think. She knew she was going to tell him, but as for just _how_ she was going to do it, she was unsure. How were you _supposed_ to do it? "Um, Miles?"

"Mm?" he responded, continuing to jot down notes.

She sighed. "Could I have your _full_ attention for a moment please?"

He looked up, putting away his work. "Of course. You have my full attention, Miss Faraday," he informed her.

"I… well…"

Now she felt well and truly lost. She probably should have thought it though a little more beforehand, but it wasn't like she could back down now. Not only would he know she had meant to say something important, it was also cowardly. Still, she had no idea of what his reaction would be. It wasn't something they'd discussed, though it wasn't a bad thing.

"I'm pregnant," she said finally.

For a moment, the room was silent. She studied his face, once again hating how she couldn't tell what he was thinking under his calm demeanour. So many thoughts seemed to race through her head at once, but the one that overtook all the others was that she'd been too quick about it. She should have dropped some hints or something first.

Then, his lips formed a smile. He leant forward to embrace her, looking as though he were considering something. "You have an impeccable way of timing things, Kay," he informed her, kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Give me a moment, please." Before she could reply, he'd stood, retreating down the hallway.

Kay was confused at that point. What had he meant? What was he doing now? She had no time to work either out, as he returned quickly, sitting back down next to her.

"As I said, you have an impeccable way of timing things," he repeated, this time his voice expressing another emotion. Was it nervousness?

Unable to help it, she laughed. "It's not my choice when I become pregnant!"

"That's not what I meant at all," he explained. "I was referring to the time you chose to tell me."

"Huh?"

He quickly stepped down from the couch, kneeling on one knee. Kay's heart barely had enough time to skip a beat before he spoke. "Kay Faraday. Three years ago, you saved my life while I was trapped in that cellar. Truthfully, you helped me long before that, six years ago. When I met you during the smuggling case again... something happened. You changed me, and I didn't realise it myself until long after." He took in a deep breath. "I love you. So giving me this news now… it marks another stage in our relationship, which is what I've been planning to do for a while. The reason your timing was impeccable is because I was about to ask you whether or not you'd become my wife." Quicker then she thought possible, he'd pulled a ring from his pocket, looking up at her with a now slightly anxious expression. It was a first, for her.

It was completely silent for many moments.

Miles almost toppled to the ground when Kay leapt from the couch, tacking him into a hug. "Why'd you even ask? Of course I will."

"Generally," he began, trying to get air back into his lungs, "one _does _ask these things, Kay." He still felt a sense of relief spread through him at her words.

"I suppose so," she laughed, loosening the hold. "But I think I've found a contradiction. If you really were just about to ask me to marry you, then you should have had the ring already on you. But you had to run and get it." She mocked horror. "Care to explain that one, Miles?"

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd pick up on that." He carefully found her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger. "I've had the ring for… a while. I wanted to wait until you'd finished the course before asking, however. It's been on my mind more lately, I was pondering it before you arrived home. I'd decided that waiting any longer would be inane."

"How long _were _you waiting?" Kay asked, genuinely curious.

"A while," he said vaguely. "Minor details, Kay. I did think of taking you back to Gatewater Land, where I met you again. I then remembered that I had been in the Isolation Room at the time, kidnapped, so surely there was a better option. There was always keeping it simple, like seeing a movie, which Detective Gumshoe suggested-"

"-Jammin' Ninja movie, I presume?" she enquired.

"Was there ever another option?" he asked. "But still, I didn't think that held enough meaning. I'm not sure I was prepared to sit through the whole thing either." He stopped for a moment. "So I suppose I was stuck for a while, wondering what the best option was. But I knew now was the right time. After all, I had the ability to turn one good piece of news into two. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to mark an even stronger beginning."

"I'd agree there. It was the right time." Kay was smiling, but suddenly sighed.

"What's the matter? You're not already getting cold feet, are you?"

"Not at all," she assured him. "I just realised that now we've got a wedding to organise, as well as prepare for a child, and on top of it all we'll still be getting cases." She groaned, closing her eyes. "I think life's going to be a bit more hectic from now on. When will I have time to _sleep_?"

"We'll manage," Miles murmured, kissing her gently. "It will seem easy in comparison to other things we've gotten into before, I'm sure of it."

* * *

><p>After the trial the next day ended, Kay arrived back at the prosecutor's office. She was met with a beaming Gumshoe, who seemed even more cheerful than usual. She was confused about why he was looking so happy, but then saw that he was looking directly at her hand.<p>

"He finally asked, pal?"

"No, what makes you think that?" Kay questioned, unable to help herself from grinning.

"Congratulations, pal!" Gumshoe said, giving her a quick hug. "I'm happy for both of you! Don't tell Mr Edgeworth I told you this, but he was pretty anxious. He thought you might say no, if the timing wasn't right. How'd he ask, anyway?"

As they walked to her office, Kay explained what had happened, breaking the second piece of news. By the end of it, she was shocked to see that Gumshoe had a tear in his eye. "Does that mean… Maggey and I can be the aunt and uncle? You know, since you and Mr Edgeworth don't have any siblings? Except for Franziska, I suppose."

The thief laughed, opening the door to her office. "If you'd like to be, Gummy."

He looked even happier than he was before. "Thanks, pal! I'll be the best uncle a nephew or niece can have, I promise!" He hummed as he walked inside, suddenly stopping. "Oh, before I forget, you have a new case, too."

"Really?" Kay asked, surprised. She saw that he was right; on her desk there was a new case file. "That didn't take them long. These people make us prosecutors work too hard, I swear."

"If they overwork you in the next nine months, I'll set them straight, pal!" Gumshoe said fiercely. "You need to relax!"

"I'm not that useless, Gummy!" she teased. "And technically, seven months. Anyway, are you assigned to the investigation?" She looked at him hopefully. Though Ema was fun to work with, she did miss spending time with Gumshoe, which was now a rare occurrence since she and Edgeworth didn't investigate together much.

"I was this morning, but I'm working on something else this afternoon. I might be tomorrow, if it's still open."

"I'm guessing that's when the trial is?"

Gumshoe nodded. "The murder happened last night, in a café placed in a large store outlet called _Dawson's_. Have you heard of it?"

"Oh, wow," Kay murmured. _Dawson's _was a large, well known place. It was seen as the top shopping complex in the city, though the prices were slightly too high. "That place is usually packed! It'll be hard investigating; it's going to cause a bit of panic."

"The café, and the area surrounding it, has been blocked off. Only the police will have access to it right now." Gumshoe sighed. "It's caused a huge worry in management, as you could imagine."

"Yeah. Having a murder in their department store _would _cause a few problems," Kay agreed, picking up the case file. "It would raise questions about security and all."

"Oh, didn't I say it earlier, pal?" Gumshoe asked. "That's not why, but you're right. The man who was murdered was the owner of the whole store, Charles Dawson. Though everything in the building was essentially under his control, he specialised in the café the crime occurred in. He ran the whole thing as the manager."

"Busy guy, then," Kay commented. "Thanks, Gummy. I'll head down there after I've finished reading this."

"Sure thing, pal. I'll see you later then!" With one last beam, still making him look overjoyed, he left, humming as he closed the door behind him.

Kay began to flick through the case file, leaning back into the chair with her feet on the desk in front of her. Had Miles seen her, he would have told her off, or at the very least sighed. She was glad he wasn't. She couldn't be bothered with sitting normally.

As she thought, Ema was in charge of the investigation. Not much data had been collected yet, but it was to be expected. The victim had been killed with a stab wound, dying almost instantly after. The time of death was approximately 7:30pm. The murder weapon was yet to be found. She turned the page, looking at the details of the arrest.

The man suspected of the murder was Turner Carter. He was arrested at the scene for being at the café after the hours had ended, close to when the murder occurred. His occupation was listed as being an accountant before retiring.

Kay looked at the photo of the man. The file said he was eighty five years old, but he somehow looked more menacing than somebody of that age should have. Still, would he be capable of murdering somebody? Studying the print more closely, she noticed that upon his bald head, there was some form of scratch travelling in a diagonal line. She frowned. If this man was an accountant, then why would he have such an injury?

Aside from the scratch, there was nothing about him that stood out. Regardless, looking at the picture caused her to feel uneasy, so she closed the file and placed it in her bag. Standing, she decided that it was time to visit the crime scene.

* * *

><p>"Hi," the thief greeted Ema as she arrived. She placed her bag on one of the benches, surveying the cafe.<p>

There was no doubt in her mind that it was a comfortable place. The tables were set out neatly, yet had a familiar feel of cosiness to them, as did everything else in the area. The décor of the room in general was lavish, but not overdone. Charles Dawson had clearly known what he'd been doing, running the café. The location was strategically placed so one of the walls was completely made of glass, facing out to the lake alongside one half of the shopping complex. Given that they were on the third floor, it made the view even more impressive. Kay liked it.

"You done admiring the view?" Ema asked, throwing something at her. Kay caught it, seeing that it was a Snackoo. Typical Ema. She was about to place the treat in her mouth, but a shocked voice rang out. "Kay!" Ema snapped.

"What?"

"You should at least read the back of the packet before eating that!" she scolded. "Some scientists reckon that certain treats can be harmful for unborn children."

The thief sighed. "Let me guess… Gumshoe?"

Ema smirked. "He rang about five minutes before you arrived, yelling stuff. I didn't catch all of it, but I did hear, 'uncle', 'Kay', 'baby' and 'safety'… so it seemed scientifically logical to think you're pregnant, yes? Engaged too, by the looks of the ring. Science prevails again!"

"…You know that's not really science, right?"

Another Snackoo was thrown her way.

"If you don't want me to eat them then why are you throwing them at me?" Kay complained. "You suck, Ema."

The detective only grinned. "Whatever. Aren't you supposed to be searching for evidence or something right now? You're slacking off!" After throwing one more Snackoo, she walked into the store room. Kay got the impression that she was meant to follow. Inside, there was some police tape, as well as a white chalk outline of a body, slouched against a cupboard. There was a faint trickle of blood on the concrete floor below them. "The murder occurred in here, at around 7:30 last night."

"Stab wound…" Kay murmured. "Did luminol reveal blood anywhere else?"

"I haven't had the chance to use it yet, since my personal stash has run out. I'll try to get more tomorrow."

Kay frowned, realising that it seemed so much quieter than usual. "Ema, where are the other police? Usually they work on the crime scene for ages before leaving, but there's not one, aside from you."

"The main investigation was finished up this morning, while you were in your trial. Now it's just you and me. Unfortunately, no evidence to convict him was found. The only thing linking the suspect to the crime is that he was here around the same time it occurred."

Kay looked disappointed. "Damn. Unless I find something, both the defense and I will be winging tomorrow's trial big time." A sudden thought occurred to her. "Hey, Ema, do you know who the defense even _is_ tomorrow?"

"Huh? Oh, it's Kristoph Gavin."

Kay dropped the three Snackoos she'd been holding. Her mind went numb, the thought slowly registering. "As in… Klavier Gavin's brother? The defense attorney that everybody thinks is the best to have crossed the courts since Marvin Grossberg retired? Well, I'm doomed. Might as well go home now."

She had been feeling bad enough about the case as it was. No leads, no evidence, and as far as she knew, no witness. The best she hoped for was an extension of the trial period, to have more time to test the luminol. But knowing the defense was being led by somebody who was seen as a prodigy seemed to hammer the last nail in her coffin.

"Pfft, don't be a wuss," Ema said. "If he's anything like the fop, too obsessed with his appearance and whatnot, then you'll be fine."

"Maybe."

The remainder of their time was spent looking through the café over and over. The kitchen, dining area and store room seemed completely… ordinary. There were no signs that a fight had occurred, nor any mess that gave them a slight clue about what happened. Kay found herself taking photos of the most pointless things, if only to have some sort of evidence.

"I hate to admit it, but this isn't worth our time," Ema concluded during their third search of the kitchen. "Just like this morning, there's no evidence."

"There has to be _something_!" Kay protested. In annoyance, she shoved one of the benches, hearing something crack underneath it. "Huh?" she murmured, crouching down. Lying in the shadows, hidden from sight, were fragments of glass. "What're these?"

"They were in the records from this morning's investigation," Ema informed her, opening the file. After flicking through it, she found what she was looking for. "Ah, here we are. '_Fragments of glass found underneath counter. Dismissed as irrelevant from case, shown from the dust present that they'd been there for at least a few days._' There we go."

Kay took a photo nonetheless.

* * *

><p>"Are you alright? If the meal isn't settling well with your stomach, I can prepare something else."<p>

Kay was stretched out on the couch, prodding at the food in front of her. The question hadn't completely caught her off-guard; Miles knew her better than anybody, and could tell when something was wrong. "The food's fine," she assured him. "Today's just been a nightmare. I'm not feeling too confident for tomorrow's trial, honestly."

"And why's that? It's the murder that occurred in the café, correct?"

"Yes. There was no evidence at the crime scene though; the only reason we have a suspect is because he was at the café near the murder time." She looked up at the man who had now sat next to her, feeling hopeless. "Two investigations today and they each showed up nothing whatsoever."

Miles thought for a moment. "Did you talk to the defendant?"

She shook her head. "I didn't have the chance. The defense is guarding him like a hawk until tomorrow, and apparently he would have refused to speak with me anyway. I have no idea how anything's going to play out; I reckon the defense will have a more arguments than I do, since they actually had opportunities to talk to the defendant before the trial."

"If there was no evidence at the scene, then they can't have an upper hand," Edgeworth pointed out. "Unless they took it illegally before the police saw, that is. As for guarding the defendant, it blatantly shows a lack of trust. Do you know who you're up against?"

"Gavin," she replied.

This piqued Miles attention, as he sat up a little straighter, glancing at her sharply. "Kristoph Gavin? Klavier's older brother?" After receiving the nod, he sighed. "What a lovely addition to the case. That will make things interesting, I'm sure."

"I'm a rookie, up against a man who's been doing this for years," Kay said glumly. "It's not a very fair match."

"Your lack of experience isn't what worries me, Kay," Miles responded. He looked back down at his notes. "I can't be there tomorrow, as I have a trial myself, but… please, be careful. I have nothing against Klavier, though his music isn't really what I enjoy, but his brother's another story. I wouldn't rely on that man if my life depended on it."

The thief looked up, confused. "What makes you say that?"

Miles' lips pressed together. "It's speculation. But I've been up against him in court. His methods are… sly. I overall don't get a good impression from him. It's like he's wearing a solid mask, and that behind the extravagant façade, there's something else entirely." He sighed. "I know Wright and he are acquaintances, however I wouldn't trust him." He looked back at Kay. "I'm sure you'll be alright, but just keep it in mind tomorrow. Tread carefully."

She nodded. "The Yatagarasu always does."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Release the Kayworth~!**

**Hope you enjoyed! The main mystery's beginning now, as you could probably tell. Thanks to all the people who have been reading and reviewing, and Happy Easter!  
><strong>

**~Clide**


	4. Phony Witness

"Why have you only decided to talk to me now?"

The man sitting across from Kay shrugged casually, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I didn't realise I was a witness to anything at the time. But last night I saw the report on the news that the boss had died, so… you know." He winked at her. "I figure that I might as well do this, since it's not like I'll be getting any work for a while."

Kay felt her grip tighten slightly on the pen. Only he, of all people, would come out and claim he was a witness to a murder on the day of the trial. He could have contacted her the night before, as soon as he saw the report, but of course, he'd decided to wait until morning. Still, at least she _had _a witness. That was definitely something, and raised her hopes ever so slightly. "Alright then. I'm giving you five minutes to tell me everything you saw, Larry."

"If you say so," he said cheerfully. "I'll tell you everything. See, I work at the café. I've been there for about three months, since I sorta crashed and burned with being an artist. I was there that night, too. I figure I arrived there at around 7:35. I was about to enter the café, but then I saw the old guy."

"You mean Turner Carter? The same man as here?" Kay clarified, holding up the photo. She herself didn't like looking at it, as she still found him menacing, but she had to make sure. The last thing she needed was for Larry to back back his testimony halfway through the trial because he realised it wasn't Turner Carter he was talking about.

Larry nodded. "Yeah, it was definitely him. He looks exactly the same. And the scratch on his head… you don't usually see that around, do you? Anyway, the old man was looking a bit pained. Hobbling slightly, muttering stuff… I didn't hear what. He kept on looking back to the storeroom as well. The door was open."

"Hm…" Kay murmured, noting everything down. This was definitely something. "Did you see the body from where you were standing?"

"I couldn't," Larry replied. "He was blocking my view, but I'm certain the door was open. The gramps freaked me out, so I left right away."

Kay skimmed over the testimony. "Was there anything else? Any little details you noticed?"

"Nope." The answer was almost too quick.

"Are you sure?" the thief pressed on. "There's no point testifying to a murder if you don't give all the information, Larry. Trust me; if there's anything else you saw, you need to tell me. It could be the difference between finding the truth and leading a dead case."

"Pfft, you and Edgey are always on about the truth," Larry complained. "You two need to take a break, relax a bit. Besides, I've done this before! I didn't see anything else."

She studied him for another moment before nodding. "Alright then. Thank you, Larry." Though it wasn't a definitive testimony, it did help. Kay rose, just as Miles rounded the corner.

"It's about time you headed inside, Kay. I need to go to my own tr-… do I want to know why Larry's here?" He surveyed his old childhood friend, seeming displeased. "Please don't tell me you're a witness." Edgeworth didn't need a reply; the expression on Larry's face was enough. "How is it that, out of all the people who could see these things, it's always _you_?"

"Quit being so mean, Edgey!" Larry complained. "I'll try my best not to stuff it up this time, I promise!"

"Having Larry as a witness is better than having no witness at all," Kay admitted. "At least I have _something _to work with now."

Miles nodded. "I wish you good luck in working with the… something." He gave a short smile, heading out the door to his own courtroom.

"Come'on, Larry," Kay muttered. "It's time."

* * *

><p>"Court is now in session for the trial of Turner Carter."<p>

Kay looked around the room. The proceedings seemed to be beginning like any other. The judge was prepared, the defendant was present, there was a witness – though she wasn't sure how much use he'd be in the end – though more people were watching than usual. Given who the victim was, Kay understood why. It was a large case.

Of course, standing directly opposite her was the defense.

Kristoph Gavin and his brother were spitting images of each other. They had the same hair, face, and even looked to be the same height. The only things differing were the attire – Kristoph was dressed formally, while Klavier rarely did – the glasses, and the expressions that crossed the eyes that lay beneath them.

Klavier often laughed and smiled, which made him a much easier person to talk to than you'd expect from a star. Though he was irritating in some ways, you could tell when he was genuinely happy easily, as his body language would show it. Kristoph, on the other hand, looked as though his beams would be condescending, his laughter too. It made Kay feel uneasy as he surveyed her.

"The defense is ready, your honour," he said. Kay noted that his voice was clearer than his brother's, and a good deal more serious.

"The prosecution is ready, your honour," she said in reply.

"It is the court's understanding that this case is a murder of one 'Charles Dawson'. Will the prosecution please give its opening statement?"

Kay looked down for the briefest moment at the speech she'd hastily prepared. "At around 7:30 two nights ago, Charles Dawson, owner of the large store outlet _Dawson's_, was stabbed in the café he personally took care of. The defendant, Turner Carter, was found at the scene ten minutes later by a security guard, though the café had closed. Furthermore, in between this time we have a witness. It is the prosecutions belief that Mr Carter is responsible for his death."

A soft murmur went through the crowd. The judge's hammer rang out quickly. "Very well. The detective in charge of the case had other engagements to attend to-"

"_Objection!" _Kristoph Gavin stood at the other side of the room, shaking his head slowly. "What other engagements could she possibly have that overthrow the power of the law? The defense requests that Ms Ema Skye be called to testify." He smiled, almost too kindly. "The last thing we want is a case full of holes. Wouldn't the prosecution agree?"

What was Ema doing? She hadn't said anything about not being able to make it. "The prosecution agrees," Kay mumbled. It wasn't as if she could say anything else.

"Very well. In that case, we'll arrange for her to be contacted immediately," the judge announced. "In the meantime, we shall begin with this witness. Would the prosecution please call the one who was present in between the murder and the defendant's arrest?"

Kay nodded. "The prosecution calls its first," _And only,_ she added to herself, "witness, a worker at the café the victim was murdered in."

Larry made his way quickly to the stand, looking almost too pleased with himself.

"Will the witness please state his name and occupation?" Kay asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Larry protested. "I'm pretty sure everybody knows who _I _am. And you just said that I was a worker at the café, so-"

"-Witness, do as I say," Kay said through gritted teeth. Her heart had sunk more than she thought possible. Already he'd made himself look like an idiot. Edgeworth was right; she would need luck working well with him.

"Okay, fine. My name is Larry Butz. My job… well, that depends." He crossed his arms, thinking. "If somebody else takes over the café, then I suppose I'll still be a waiter. But if the whole thing gets shut down, then I'm unemployed. I might try and go into the Samurai Dog business again, but people aren't really fans of ninja's much anymore. I guess I'm a still a waiter for now though."

Kay tried to prevent herself from glaring at him. Her whole case depended on his testimony. If he kept going as he was, rambling about nothing, then they'd be done for sure. She hoped that when he was recalling the events from two nights ago, he'd be more useful.

"Witness. Please testify to the court on what you saw the night of the murder," the judge requested.

"Sure thing!" He paused for a moment before beginning. "I arrived at the café I work in at around 7:35 that night. Just as I was about to open the door, I peered in through the window. I saw the old gu- the defendant, hunched over, sort of looking like he was in pain. He kept on looking into the storeroom, and the door was open. He seemed kind of dodgy, so I decided to leave."

"Hm…" the judge mused, closing his eyes for a moment. "Though this witness didn't see the exact time of the crime, his testimony proves that the defendant was at the scene for a while before his arrest."

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves," Kristoph suggested, smiling. It sent a shiver up Kay's spine; it looked as though he'd already found a few contradictions. "There's still the cross-examination, of course."

"Quite right, Mr Gavin. Please proceed with your cross-examination."

Larry repeated his testimony another time. Kay's eyes were drawn to Kristoph, who stood frozen, drinking in every word. It looked as though his mind was reeling, but not as if he was working out what could be wrong with it. It looked more like he was trying to work out which angle he should attack from first. As the testimony began once more, he finally spoke.

"I have a few things to ask you, Mr Butz. Firstly, what type of employer was Charles Dawson?" Kristoph questioned.

Larry considered it for a moment. "To be honest, the boss was sort of harsh. Yelled a lot, especially when I broke one of the blenders the other day. I offered to try and fix it, but he wouldn't let me. He said I'd make things worse. He was intimidating."

"Interesting," Kristoph commented. "Secondly, why were you there?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you go to the café?" the attorney clarified. "The hours were already over, so you can't have been working. You seem fairly certain of the time you arrived as well. Both these confuse me. Was there a particular reason you needed to be there?"

"Oh!" Larry exclaimed as he finally understood, eyes slightly wider. "Well, to be honest, my pay sorta sucks, so I decided to go and ask for a raise. I know the boss knocks off at around 7:30, so I decided to 'bump' into him on his way out." He looked sheepish. "I figured that if we had a friendly chat, I could ask for it."

Kristoph sighed. "But that doesn't add up with what you told us earlier. You said you arrived at 7:35."

Larry grinned. "I ran into this really cute girl on my way in. We got talking, so I was running about five minutes late by the time I arrived at the café."

"Tch." The blond man shook his head slowly. "I find it very difficult to believe that you would be distracted so easily, when you were on your way to ask somebody for money."

"_Objection_!" Kay announced. "Mr Gavin, I could find at least five people who could testify that this witness is _very _easily distracted, especially when it comes to women."

"Not only is that dismissible as an argument, Ms Faraday, but it also does not prove he was on this night, does it?"

The thief was silent. How had he managed to do that? Without even presenting a shred of evidence, he was slowly turning Larry's testimony to make it look less trustworthy by the moment. She needed to keep an eye out, to object before he got too far.

"At any rate, please continue with your testimony, witness," the judge said.

Larry managed to get the rest of the testimony finished before he was interrupted again.

"_Hold it_! You decided not to go inside as the defendant, an old man, frightened you?" Kristoph confirmed.

"With the scratch on his head and the way he was walking, he looked like something out of a horror movie!" Larry protested. "I wasn't going inside, whether s-… I had a chance of getting the pay rise or not."

Kay's brow furrowed. Larry had stumbled; he'd hesitated with what he was about to say. One look to the side of the room showed that Kristoph had picked up on it too.

His lips slowly turned up into a smile, and he looked over at her. "Just so we are clear, Ms Faraday," he began, "you believe the reason this witness's testimony is important to the case is because he can confirm that Mr Carter was at the crime scene for at least five minutes?"

"Yes, however that isn't all," Kay informed him. "The body was found in the store room, right in the entrance. According to my witness, the door was open, and the defendant was looking back at it. Why did he linger so long? It would have been impossible for Mr Carter to miss the body, which dismisses any possibility that he had no idea a murder had occurred just prior to his arrest."

"I disagree," Kristoph replied simply.

After a murmur went through the gallery, the judge banged his gravel against his bench. "Will the defense please explain themselves?"

"The defense believes that this testimony cannot be trusted, and shouldn't be taken into consideration," the attorney said calmly.

Kay's hands slammed across her desk uncontrollably. "And why not?" she demanded.

"Haven't you noticed? It's simply full of holes, Ms Faraday," Kristoph said, as if it were obvious. "After hearing it, I have come to the conclusion that this witness wasn't present at the café when the crime occurred, or any time close to it."

"_Hold it_!" Kay yelled. She turned to the judge. "This is completely outrageous, your honour. The defense has no evidence to support their claim."

"I think you'll find that all the evidence needed was in the witness's testimony just now," Kristoph replied. "The most troubling concern I have is the witness's reason for being there. He claims he was asking for a pay rise, however I do recall him saying that his boss was 'intimidating'." He slammed his hand to the desk, shaking his head. "Who would ask their boss for a pay rise if they feared them, I ask you?"

She knew her argument wouldn't hold, but Kay objected either way. "With all due respect, Mr Gavin, this witness isn't exactly known for his intellect. He rarely thinks his actions through properly before deciding to go through with them."

"Wits have nothing to do with feelings, Ms Faraday. Even the brightest person can fall at the hands of emotions." He looked directly at her. "If you are suggesting that your witness could overcome his fear so easily, then why did he claim to leave after glancing at the defendant? The truth of the matter here is that he is a coward, and no coward would approach a boss they saw as intimidating and ask for a pay rise."

"The defense does bring up a problem," the judge agreed. "Does the prosecution have anything to add, Ms Faraday?"

The Yatagarasu was momentarily lost, but quickly regained her composure. She had to press on. "The reason my witness was there doesn't matter," she pointed out. "What matters is what he saw, and that was the defendant, looking into the store room where the victim's body was. Mr Carter couldn't possibly have missed it."

"Ah, the mystery of how the defendant overlooked seeing the body. There lies a contradiction," Kristoph informed them. "The storeroom is locked with a key. When the security guard arrived, she was forced to open it with the master key, but only did so because the lights had been left on. She then discovered the crime scene, and the victim… who had the key in his pocket. No such key was found on the defendant, and the door cannot be locked any other way. So you see; the door couldn't have been open at this time." The light reflected off his glasses, and he smiled again. Though it wasn't really a smile, more a smirk. "Yet this 'witness' saw the door open. Impossible."

Kay felt a cold rush go through her.

"But… the door _was_ open…" Larry said quietly, brows knitted together in confusion.

"Ms Faraday, do you have an explanation for this contradiction?" the judge demanded. "If not, I'm afraid your witness's credibility will be completely taken away."

No matter how hard she tried, Kay couldn't think of a single way for it to be possible, not with the information she had. If the door really had been locked, and no key found on the defendant, then it surely meant that the defense was correct; it was impossible. Yet Larry had seemed so sure that it was the truth. It didn't add up.

Nonetheless, there was only one option. "I have no explanation."

"Your witness will need to be dismissed immediately," the judge informed her. "Everything he has said will not be taken into account."

The man behind the defense's bench laughed. "I'm sorry to say that that's what happens when you call a phony witness, Ms Faraday."

"How… H-How dare you!" was all she could say in reply.

"With the information about the key in mind, it really doesn't seem like the defendant could have committed the crime. It would take somebody with access to a key to do so, one would think," the judge said.

At that point in time, the doors to the courtroom opened, and a familiar figure walked in. She was munching on a bag of Snackoos, looking completely unfazed. "I'm sorry for keeping the court waiting," Ema said, though she didn't sound sincere. Truthfully, she sounded annoyed at being there.

"Detective Skye," the judge greeted. "Would you please take to the stand and give an overview of the case?"

"There's not much to overview, but if the defense is that desperate, then sure," Ema replied, looking over Kristoph Gavin. "Wow, you _do _look a lot like the fop," she muttered.

Kay bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

Larry grudgingly walked back to the gallery, and Ema took her place on the stand. Still munching on a Snackoo, she began. "There's really no evidence on this case. No murder weapon, DNA or anything of the sort has been found. That's why I wasn't present at the beginning of the trial; I didn't think it was worth my time being here to report facts we didn't have. I was out getting some luminol instead. That way, we might discover _something_."

The judge raised an eyebrow. "I see. I don't think there's really any point in having a cross-"

"The defense requests cross-examining the witness," Kristoph interrupted. "I have the right to, after all."

"…Very well. Please proceed."

Ema only managed to say one sentence before Kristoph spoke. "I'm disappointed in the lack of research the prosecution has conducted," he commented. "Making such a large statement; that no evidence was found."

Kay took in a sharp breath before replying. "How so, Mr Gavin?"

"May I present to the court these documents?" he requested, revealing a few forms. "These are not directly related to the murder. However, they involve the victim, and as such need to be treated as evidence. It also shows how little the prosecution has looked over this case, and that more time needs to be given before declaring a verdict."

"What exactly are these documents, Mr Gavin?" Kay asked cautiously. She didn't like where the situation was headed. Not only had he made both her and Ema look – not to mention feel – like they weren't doing their jobs properly, but whatever the documents contained was probably bad news.

"As you are all aware, the victim, Charles Dawson, was the owner of the whole shopping complex. These forms about some of their merchandise should be treated carefully. They are, after all, capable of putting a man in prison." Kristoph laughed hollowly afterwards. "They're no good for a dead man, obviously, but no matter."

The courtroom had erupted in whispers. Kay noticed that a few of the board members of _Dawson's _were looking on edge, like they themselves had no idea what was about to be revealed.

"Ladies and gentleman," Kristoph announced loudly, his voice breaking the rest of the sound, "at this point in time I would like to add that only Charles Dawson's signature is on the papers. No other board members of _Dawson's_ seem to be involved. Regardless, the issue of stolen goods runs all throughout the shopping complex, down to every last store."

For a second, everything was silent. Then the courtroom became an uproar of shock and protests from everybody inside, and no amount of the judge's gravel hitting the bench in front of him could change that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Annnnd the plot thickens :D Hope you all enjoyed! It was my first time writing a trial, so I hope I did okay.  
><strong>


	5. Discoveries

"I'm going to murder you, Larry."

The man in front of her hastily stepped back, raising his hands defensively. "Kay-"

"Tell me the truth," the Yatagarasu ordered, eyes locked on him. "Were you there that night? Did you actually see what you claim you did? Spare me the trouble of working it out for myself later on."

"I was there! I swear on my life I was!" Larry exclaimed. "I wouldn't testify about something I didn't see! Well… unless I made a mistake. But still, I was there that night!" He suddenly winked at her. "'Sides, I didn't do that badly, right?"

Kay groaned. "Part of me would have preferred it if you'd just told me you weren't really there. It'd save me from figuring out how the door was open when it must have been closed."

"Calm down, Kay," a voice from behind her advised. She felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder. "Remember, if Larry is telling the truth, then it will be revealed. In the meantime, you've just got to try and find the answers to other mysteries. For instance, where is the murder weapon? If Mr Carter really is our culprit, then it can't have left the café."

She found herself relaxing slightly at the words, and she turned to meet Edgeworth's eyes. "How'd your trial go?"

"Well. It was finished quickly, so I managed to see around half of yours." He sighed. "I'm sorry about what happened."

"He completely wiped me out," Kay muttered. It was nothing but the truth; Kristoph Gavin had turned everything in his favour easily. "And I didn't even realise it was happening at first."

"Now you know what I mean about treading carefully," Edgeworth said. "With a man like Kristoph Gavin, you must always be on alert. Otherwise, before you know it, he's completely turned your argument to dust, only with words. He does it so slyly that you wouldn't believe it." He looked over at Larry. "Your testimony didn't really help the situation. I can't help but feel you're hiding something… perhaps to do with your reason for being there? Kristoph did bring up a good point about it."

"Nobody trusts me," Larry complained.

"I wonder why, pal," Gumshoe said sarcastically. "Anyway, there's always tomorrow's trial, Kay. In the meantime, we've gotta find some evidence, don't we?"

The thief's spirits rose. "Does this mean you're both investigating with Ema and I today?"

"Sure are! I've gotta make sure that you aren't put in any danger, pal!" Gumshoe announced. "You've got nothing to worry about! I'll make sure that no suspicious people get anywhere near you!" He gave Larry a quick glance, seeming to consider it.

"Kay!" Ema announced, coming over from talking to one of the guards. She was holding up a spray bottle, looking pleased. "Did you _see_ the fop's twin in there? That guy was scary, I'm telling you. Anyway, I got more luminol. Maybe now we'll be able to find the murder weapon."

Edgeworth nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Ema. Now come, everybody. We have some much needed evidence to find."

* * *

><p>"Miles?"<p>

"Yes?"

"Why do you think Kristoph Gavin decided to wait until the end of the trial to produce the documents?" Kay questioned. "He easily could have done it in the beginning, or in the middle. But he waited until the very end, when Ema was testifying."

"I was expecting you to ask that question," the other prosecutor admitted, not taking his eyes off the road ahead of him. "Think over the documents. Do you think they were necessary to bring up in the first place? If anything, they could hurt his case rather than strengthen it."

"Now that you mention it… it didn't seem like a very smart move," Kay murmured. "After all, it just opens more questions."

"Which in the end, does what?" Miles asked. "It extends the trial period another day."

"The investigation was already going to be extended though. We didn't have a murder weapon, or another suspect." As soon as the words left her mouth, it dawned on her. "Wait a moment… he didn't do it to make me look bad, did he? To show that he had evidence and I didn't?"

Miles hesitated for a moment before replying. "You're on the right track, yes. If he didn't show the documents, the case would have been extended, simply because both sides – the prosecution and the defense – had a lack of information. It would have hurt his image. That's why he waited until the end. If the judge had of decided to declare Turner Carter not guilty, I'm certain he wouldn't have bothered."

"Makes sense, I suppose. It tells a lot about Gavin." She sighed. "Still… stolen goods. Who would have thought?"

They pulled up in front of the _Dawson's_ department store building, which was already crawling with police officers. "It looks like the announcement in the trial's being taken seriously," Miles commented. "I didn't think they'd act this fast though. I doubt any of the public is allowed inside anymore."

Gumshoe and Ema arrived soon after, and they made their way inside. They were stopped quite a few times, being asked for identification, however they were soon allowed to pass. They eventually reached the third floor, entering the familiar café.

"Gumshoe and I will search the dining area," Edgeworth suggested. "I understand that it wasn't investigated as much as the store room was yesterday?"

"You're right," Ema admitted. "Since the murder occurred in the store room, it was the main place we were concentrating on. Still, something might be in the dining area." She and Kay broke off into the kitchen with the luminol. "Here, put these on," the scientist ordered, throwing her a pair of gloves. "I need you to search the place and find me every object that could be used as a weapon. More specially, sharp enough to stab somebody."

"Aww, can't I use the luminol?" Kay complained. "It looks fun."

"And let Gumshoe kill me for allowing you handle a chemical?" Ema said, raising an eyebrow. "No."

Kay went round to the drawers, taking the knives from each one and placing them carefully in a pile next to Ema. For a café, they had a surprising amount; however she was finished searching them in two minutes. "Now what?" she asked.

"Now you be quiet and let me work," Ema said, carefully spraying each of the knives. "Make sure you've gotten all the sharp objects; you should probably check the shelves as well."

The thief dubiously glanced at them, which were stacked on each other until they reached the roof. "What, so Gummy will let me climb shelves and handle knives, but not use a bit of luminol? Great logic you've got there."

"Shut up Kay." A small object soon flew past her head. Kay didn't see what it was, but she was sure it was a Snackoo.

The prosecutor soon found that the shelves were sturdy, and easy enough to climb. She just hoped that Gumshoe wouldn't see her up on them. Peering into them, she threw down any object that seemed sharp, ignoring Ema's protests that throwing knives was dangerous. Eventually she reached the top, and after checking, decided to stand there out of boredom. It was clear that Ema wouldn't be done for a while.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she took out each object from the top shelf, reading the tiny labels that the jars had and playing with the pieces of fluff she found. Eventually, she reached to the back of the wall.

"Huh?" she murmured when her hand touched a cool, metal object. Looking through the shadows, she saw a small safe, shoved clumsily into a gap that wasn't the right shape. It was sticking out more than Kay thought it should have been. "Hey Ema, I found a safe!" she announced excitedly.

"Nice work. It might be useful if you opened it though," Ema replied, sounding uninterested.

After fiddling with the dials for a few moments, Kay decided that it wasn't worth her time. She skimmed along the rest of the shelf, finding nothing of interest.

"Hey, I've got something!" Ema said, excitement clear in her voice.

Kay quickly climbed down, walking over to the bench Ema was using. As she expected, one of the knives now had a faint blue stain on it, a sign that the luminol had reacted. "So this is…?"

"The murder weapon? Yes." Ema studied it, her eyes shining. "Isn't science amazing? I doubt there will be enough blood traces to tell if it's the victim's, but we'll be able to compare the blade to the wound. I also think I see fingerprints on the handle."

"Brilliant," Kay breathed. "Ema, will you be able to get this analysed?"

"Sure can, I'll get it to the labs straight away," the detective replied, taking it and placing it into a clear bag. "In the meantime, use the luminol on some of the wash clothes."

"Huh? Why?" Kay questioned, taking the bottle. "Wait, so _now_ I'm allowed to use it? Just admit it; you don't care about my safety."

"Obviously the knife hasn't been washed properly, otherwise we wouldn't have found any traces of blood. If my theory is correct, they wiped it on something, just to make it look clean. It can't hurt to check." Ema grinned. "I wanted to use the luminol. You liked climbing the shelves anyway." With those words, she left, an air of glee about her.

* * *

><p>Kay took down the wash clothes from where they were stored, spraying each one. It took her longer than expected, and she didn't get any results until she found one that had been shoved right to the back of the drawer. It was slightly crumpled, and after spraying it a blue stain appeared against the complementary red. It made sense that the first investigation had ignored it, given that the blood blended in with the normal colour perfectly.<p>

Excited, she made her way out into the dining area, eager to tell Edgeworth and Gumshoe the news. "Gummy? Miles?" she called, rounding the corner. She soon stopped short when she realised they weren't there. Instead, there was a girl.

Though she wasn't a girl. She was a woman, older than Kay herself. But the way she stood, her body language subdued, caused her to look timid and unsure, as a child would. She was wearing a plain grey dress that seemed to cling to her skinny figure. Her brown hair reached her shoulders, though it seemed to be parted oddly. One of her hands reached up, placed over her face in an attempt to hide it. "Hello," she said finally, voice quiet.

"Ah… hi," Kay greeted, unsure what she was supposed to say. It quickly dawned on her that the woman wasn't supposed to be there. "I'm sorry, but you're not allowed access here. This whole shopping complex has been blocked off to the public." After awaiting a response and receiving none, she decided on a different approach. "Are you… what are you doing here?"

"Preparing," she replied, voice just as low as earlier.

"Kay!" Gumshoe called, coming back into the café. "We just saw Ema leave, it's great news about the knife, pal!" He was smiling widely, until he saw the women. His expression flickered, and he looked confused. "Er… is she supposed to be here, pal?"

The thief could only shrug.

Miles soon appeared, eyes looking over the new guest. "Excuse me, miss," he said after waiting for somebody to speak, "I'm afraid you're going to have to leave. The members of the public aren't allowed access to this shopping complex at any time for now. We can escort you out if you're lost."

"I work here," was the meek reply.

"You do know what happened to Mr Dawson, I presume?" Miles continued. After getting the slow nod, he seemed to consider how to proceed. "May I ask your name?"

"…Viola."

"I apologise, Viola, but you're going to have to leave," he repeated. Kay noted that his voice was softer than usual, like he was talking to a child. "Unless you have certain permis-"

"I am a witness," she said suddenly, head snapping up slightly.

"A… witness?" Kay said slowly. The words quickly sank in. "You mean you saw what happened here two nights ago? What happened to your employer?" If she really was a witness, then it could open new possibilities for them.

Viola stared ahead, almost blankly. "It was my… boyfriend."

The atmosphere seemed to intensify in the room. "Your boyfriend was the killer?" Edgeworth asked carefully. "You saw this with your own eyes?"

If what she said was true, Kay thought, then Turner Carter couldn't be the one responsible. Unless _he _was her boyfriend, which wasn't an option she wanted to consider, given Viola looked to be in her thirties.

"My… lover," Viola said slowly. "He was there that night. I saw them fight… he had a knife in his hand. Then, all of a sudden… blood." She didn't look repelled by the fact. It was more like she was struggling to string the words of her sentences together, like they didn't completely make sense to her. "It travelled down his knife," she continued. "Then, Mr Dawson died, and he left."

"Where were you when you witnessed this, Viola?" Miles asked cautiously.

It seemed to take a moment for her to understand. "Over there," she said finally, pointing to the window in the door.

Kay frowned; it was the same one that Larry claimed to have looked through.

"I saw him go into the kitchen, then he came back without the knife. He closed the door, and locked it. That's what I saw. I left before he noticed me."

It was Miles first spoke. "Miss…?" he said, voice patient.

"…Viola."

"Miss Viola. Please, can you give us the name? The name of your boyfriend, the one who did this?"

Kay could tell he was being careful with his words. If there was one thing he couldn't do, it was come across as intimidating in any way. His usual tactic of getting people to talk wouldn't work, not on her. It would only cause her remain silent.

"My lover's name…" Viola murmured. She placed her hand to the back of her head, once again staring out into nothingness. "It is Larry. Larry Butz."

The three who were listening to her story were put into shock.

Not many thoughts were going through Kay's mind. She could only stare at Viola, thinking one thing over and over. That she was lying, and that there was no way Larry would be capable of killing somebody. Yet the way Viola told the story was so convincing, so much like it was the truth. She couldn't process any of it.

Miles' mind was reeling. Using the information he knew, he put together the pieces of the case according to what she'd seen.

Charles Dawson had been inside the café, finishing up for the day as he usually did. At some time before 7:30, Larry had entered. Whether he had come with the intent of murder or not was unclear, yet it had somehow happened. This made Larry a prime suspect; he would have had access to the keys of the café, a trait that Turner Carter didn't. He also had the motive that he himself has supplied; the pathetic wage. He'd grabbed hold of one of the knives in the drawers, and stabbed Charles Dawson. Before that point in time, Viola had come to the window, watching the scene unfold before her. She saw Larry deliver the blow. He then went back into the kitchen, dealt with the knife, and then locked the storeroom door. Viola left quickly after, and as far as they knew, did nothing to alert security. Larry also left before the guard arrived.

Calculating it in his head, he realised that it would have been around 7:35 by then, the time that Larry had claimed seeing the defendant, Turner Carter. Just where did he fit into the picture? Had he witnessed any of the events that Viola had? Was it perhaps the reason he was in the café in the first place?

He replayed the scenario in his head. Though Viola's explanation of what happened seemed to fit with the facts, imagining Larry in the position seemed near impossible. He eventually opened his eyes. Nobody else had moved. "Viola," he began, "Was there anybody else aside from Mr Butz and the victim at the scene?"

"No," she murmured. "There was only them… and me."

"Is it possible you missed anything?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "What I mean is, are you absolutely certain that these are the events that transpired that night? That it was Mr Butz who murdered Mr Dawson?"

"…I am certain."

"You plan on testifying tomorrow, pal?" Gumshoe said, speaking for the first time since seeing her. His voice was strange, like he believed what she was saying.

"It… is the right thing to do… isn't it?" Viola asked. Her eyes studied them, looking for an answer.

"If you are telling the truth, then yes, it's always the right thing to do," Kay found herself saying. The numbness on her mind had lifted slightly, and she scanned the expressions of everybody.

Viola was looking blank, like what she had done had no effect on her at all. There was something about her that made Kay uneasy. She was so lifeless it was almost like talking to a robot. And the way she spoke, like the words were hard to get out, but not because of their content. It could be compared to talking to a foreigner, but she knew it wasn't the case with Viola.

Miles was deep in thought. Throughout Viola's speech, his expression had stayed calm, though there was no doubt in Kay's mind that the news was unwelcoming. Knowing that it was Larry who Viola claimed to have seen made the situation so alien.

Then there was Gumshoe. Slowly, he was being brought back to the real world. His face was dark, and Kay knew immediately that he thought what Viola had said was the truth. "How… how could he, pal?" he whispered. His voice was laced with anger more than disbelief. "After all this time… he's been capable of _this_?"

"We don't know that for certain, Detective," Edgeworth began, however he was cut short.

"It makes sense though, doesn't it?" Gumshoe persisted. "He had access to the keys, and he has a motive. He's looking like more of a suspect than Turner Carter is right now." He turned to Kay. "You thought his testimony sounded a bit off, didn't you?"

"I only thought it sounded off because of his reason for being there. Not the rest of it!" she told him fiercely. "And like Miles said, we don't know for sure that it really was him! Come'on, Gummy… it's Larry! He of all people…"

Viola seemed to be tuned out of the conversation. "Fireworks…" she murmured. "They're pretty, don't you think? They make a loud noise, then the beautiful lighting of the sky… like a flame." She smiled slightly, laughing in a strange manner, as though something was so amusing about it. "He he he… I can't wait to see the fireworks."

Just then, Kay's phone began to ring. She noted with annoyance that it was the Steel Samurai theme. She quickly glared at Miles – she was sure it was him who had changed it – who looking away, before answering it. "Hello?"

"It's Ema," the voice on the other end said quickly. She sounded stressed. "We have a problem."

"Huh? What's going on?" Kay demanded. "Do you have the forensics results back yet?"

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before the detective spoke. "Kay, I'm sorry," she said finally. "The blade matches the wound, so it is the murder weapon, but it didn't give us the results we wanted. The fingerprints…"

Her stomach dropped. She gripped the phone tighter. "Ema," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Whose are they?"

"We tried them against Turner Carter. They weren't his," she said regretfully. "So we ran them through the collection of fingerprints we already had from previous suspects, just to see if we'd get anything. We did." She sighed. "Kay, I'm sorry. I didn't want to believe it either, but they're Larry's."

The thief had been been expecting it, but it didn't make the news any more welcoming. "Larry's…"

Before she could reply, Gumshoe had taken the phone from her. "Pal, what's going on?" After a hearing what she had to say, his expression darkened. "A new witness has appeared. She claims she saw him commit the murder."

Something was said on the other end of the line, but Kay couldn't make out what it was if she tried. She felt Miles put an arm around her shoulder, and she looked up. His expression was hard, like he was trying to work out what Ema was saying. The turn of events wasn't setting well with him either.

"Yeah, pal," Gumshoe said finally. "It needs to be done. With everything we have, we can't just ignore this. Can you arrange it?"

Ema's reply was shorter that time.

"Thank you." Gumshoe hung up, looking at Kay apologetically. He handed her back his phone, now avoiding her gaze. "I'm sorry pal," he said eventually. "I know this isn't good for your case, but with everything that's happened today, we don't have a choice. He's looking more suspicious than the current defendant… we need to take action."

"Detective, what's happening?" Edgeworth asked calmly. It seemed like he already knew the answer, and so did Kay. "Are they…?"

"They're preparing to arrest him as we speak."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have had the week from hell. Urgh. How I get myself into half the stuff I do is beyond me… anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. A little feedback is never bad, ja? What is your take on the story, and where do you think this mystery's going? I'd love to know :D**

**~Clide**


	6. Identities

"It's going to be hard today."

She'd known that from the moment she'd heard that Larry was going to be arrested, but to admit it out loud made things that much more real. The reality was that Kristoph had more than enough evidence to convict him, and Kay knew he would use it to its full worth. The thought made her heart drop.

The arms around her tightened. "We'll get to the bottom of this. As long as you present a fair case, Larry will be fine."

The thief laughed hollowly. "We both know that isn't true. Unless I act fast and at the start of the trial, it's over. Kristoph will use everything he has to make sure Larry is sentenced." Her lips twitched. "This isn't like the Jammin' Ninja at all. The hero usually has a backup plan. I still don't know whether not Turner Carter is responsible, but Larry is innocent."

Her visit to the detention centre last night was enough to make her sure. Larry had been frantic, worrying about what was going to happen to him. Overall, he'd looked pathetic. "We're on your side," Miles told him clearly. "This isn't a separate trial for you; it's still Turner Carter's. At this moment, you're just being treated as another suspect. We'll make sure you're let go." She knew he'd meant every word.

"That may be true. But you have one advantage, and it's that you know Viola's testimony is flawed."

"It doesn't matter," Kay said hopelessly. "If Kristoph is the one cross-examining her-"

Miles shook his head, silencing her. "You're not the one to give up so easily, Kay. Don't believe that the trial is already over; you need to keep a positive attitude. Besides, Kristoph doesn't have to be the one conducting the cross-examination. You can request to do it. It doesn't happen often, but it's legal, and your only chance."

The news was welcoming, but did little to lift her spirits. "I need you there today," she admitted, "not in the gallery, but at the prosecution's bench. I don't think I can help Larry on my own… not yet."

He nodded in reply. "Of course. I'll be there."

* * *

><p>"The trial of Turner Carter will know reconvene," the judge announced.<p>

Kay noticed that the court room had differed from the day previous. The main alteration was the amount of people watching. Yesterday, all the seats in the gallery had been filled. Now, the crowd had doubled in size, the majority of the people standing. She spotted a few journalists, pen and paper in hand as they watched, eyes glued to the scene in front of them.

The second difference was that she now had Miles by her side, to give her assistance during the trial. Though all odds were against them, it was a comfort.

The last was that instead of just Turner Carter with two guards next to him, there was another. Close to him was Larry, looking glum. His eyes were to the ground below him, as if he was trying to shut out the world around him. He looked lost.

Kay didn't like the seriousness of the situation at all. Part of her missed the days when she could stay indoors and watch television for hours without having to worry about the consequences of slacking off. She knew she had to cast aside those thoughts; it wasn't a game. Larry was an idiot, but an innocent one. She needed to fight.

"The defense is ready, your honour," Kristoph Gavin announced. He was looking pleased with himself, smiling in a condescending way at Kay.

"The prosecution is ready, your honour," the Yatagarasu said.

"Would the prosecution like to give an opening statement, or shall we continue on from yesterday?" the judge asked.

"I have no opening statement," she replied. It had been to Edgeworth's advice that she said it; he said it would be best to avoid making one. Larry's involvement should only be revealed when Ema testified, and not before.

"Your honour," Kristoph said politely, "the defense requests to make an opening statement as a substitute for the prosecution."

Kay's jaw dropped, and she quickly looked at the one next to her. "He's allowed to do that?" she whispered.

Miles nodded stiffly. "Just as the prosecution can cross-examine at times, so may the defense call witnesses and give opening statements. I feared he may do this." He looked down apologetically. "I'm sorry. I should have mentioned it earlier."

"Very well then," the judge replied.

"The defense would like to withdraw its claim from yesterday that the witness, Larry Butz, was not present anywhere near the scene of the crime that night." Before anybody else could say a word, Kristoph elaborated. "After new evidence has come into light yesterday afternoon, we believe that Mr Butz was indeed at the scene of the crime. Not as a witness, but as the murderer."

Knowing that this would cause a disruption, the judge's gravel quickly hit the bench. "Mr Gavin! What evidence is this?"

"If the court would allow Detective Ema Skye to testify once again, all will be explained," Kristoph replied. "She, after all, was present when the new evidence was found, and could give a better explanation than I myself could."

The judge nodded. "Of course. The court calls Ms Ema Skye to testify about the new evidence found yesterday afternoon!"

Ema stood from the gallery, seeming thankful to be released from the small confines of the place. Making her way to the stand, bag of Snackoos in hand, she looked displeased.

"Yesterday afternoon, the murder weapon was found," she began. "It was a knife that was used in the café, and it matched the victim's wound. The blade had been wiped by a piece of cloth at the scene, but not enough. The traces of blood were picked up by luminol." She gestured to a bag, where the knife was sitting. "The fingerprints on the handle match Mr Butz's, not the defendant's. They were well preserved, since the handle is made of metal. Furthermore, we had somebody come forward yesterday afternoon, claiming to have witnessed the crime. Their recollection differs from Mr Butz's."

A quiet murmur went through the room. The judge leant over his bench, eyes closed. Kristoph was looking unfazed, but both Kay and Edgeworth knew he was pleased. Larry felt the eyes that we on him, tensing up.

"I see. If the defense would like to begin their cross-examination?"

"The defense sees no need for a cross-examination, your honour," Kristoph replied. "After all, this isn't a witness testimony. Detective Skye is only reporting the facts as she found them. There are no errors present, I assure you."

"Does the prosecution have anything to add?"

"The prosecution agrees with the defense," Kay replied. "There is no need for a cross-examination."

"Very well. If that is all, then this new witness can be called," the judge said.

"Oh, one more thing, your honour," Kristoph announced. "I regret to say that the next witness is… _delicate_. She sustained an injury in the past that has affected her mental ability somewhat, as she was in an accident. I ask that the court treat her with tolerance in mind."

An accident. It made sense, Kay thought, after seeing Viola's behaviour the day previous.

The judge seemed uncertain. "If she is… mentally affected, then how can we be sure that she is capable of testifying?"

"When I said her mental ability was affected, I meant that she has trouble with words sometimes, and can easily be intimidated. Her memory has not suffered as a result." For a moment, the light on his glasses flashed. He quickly smiled. "She is very certain of what she witnessed."

"If that is the case, then I ask that this witness please take to the stand."

For a moment, nobody in the courtroom moved. Then, somebody in the gallery stood. She slowly made her way to the witness stand, looking around with interest. Viola stood behind it for a moment before turning to the side slightly, suddenly looking frightened.

"Will the witness pleased state her name and occupation?" Kay requested.

"…Viola."

_Avoiding her last name?_ Kay thought to herself. _She did the same yesterday._

"Could you please give your last name as well, Viola?" the judge asked.

"Your honour, the witness's name hardly matters," Kristoph said. "She's only here to tell what she saw, not give trivial details such as that."

The thief frowned. "He looked a little… on edge just now, didn't he?" she muttered.

"Yes. It seems that he doesn't want her last name to be revealed," Miles commented. "It's strange. Perhaps we can use it to our advantage later, not yet."

"Her name doesn't matter, your honour," Kay agreed. "Viola is a waitress at the café the crime occurred in. What we need here is her testimony of the events she saw, and nothing else." _For now_, she added to herself. _I'll find out your name later, Viola. Trust me._

"As strange as this is, I suppose we can make an exception," the judge said. He still looked hesitant. "I'm not sure what I think of this at all, really. Miss Viola, could you please tell the court what you witnessed the night of the murder?"

Slowly, the women behind the witness stand nodded. "I will." She took in a breath. "Mr Butz and I are… lovers. That night… I looked through the window on the door to the cafe. It would have been 7:30, I think. I saw the door to the storeroom open, and Mr Dawson and Mr Butz fighting. I saw the knife in his hand… and he stabbed him." She thought for a few more moments before continuing. "After that, my lover… he disappeared to the kitchen... he came back without the knife. Then, he closed the storeroom door shut, and locked it with a key. I was frightened, so I left."

"So you see, your honour… it was not my client who committed the dastardly sin that night," the attorney said. "It was Mr Butz who dealt the blow which ended Charles Dawson's life!"

"If this testimony is the truth, then you're correct," the judge agreed. "Regardless, please proceed with your cross-examination, Mr Gavin.

It was now or never.

"_Objection!_" Kay yelled, pointing to the other side of the room. She sighed, shaking her head. "Your honour, please think about the situation for a moment. You've requested that the defense conduct the cross-examination, a procedure used to find the flaws in a testimony. However, Miss Viola's recollection is completely in their favour." She slammed her palms to the bench. "I can guarantee that the defense won't do the job justice under these circumstances."

"Though you bring up a good point, Ms Faraday, that cannot be helped," the judge replied. "This testimony must be examined!"

"But not necessarily by the defense, correct?" the thief persisted. "The prosecution requests that we conduct the cross examination instead." She smiled. "As Mr Gavin said yesterday, 'the last thing we want is a case full of holes'."

"Hm… the prosecution conducting the cross-examination?" the judge mused. "It's been a while since I've seen this happen. Does the defense have any objections?" After receiving no response, the judge looked over to the bench. "Mr Gavin?"

For a moment, the attorney's head was looking down at the bench, and he looked to be tensed. In another, his head had snapped up, and he was calm. "The defense sees no problem with the request."

"Well done, Kay," Miles murmured. "You handled the situation well. You seemed to have hit a nerve with Gavin as well… he looks to feel humiliated. I must admit, I'm impressed. I've never accomplished that myself."

The Yatagarasu smiled, but didn't reply to him. Instead, she addressed the courtroom "In any case, we'll proceed right away."

She listened to Viola's testimony another time, thinking everything over. There were two things in general that she wanted to clear up before starting any form of attack.

"How long have the two of you been… together?" Kay questioned at the beginning of the testimony.

"I have been… working at the café for about two months," Viola said. "I met Mr Butz on my first shift… he helped me. A few days later, he asked me to be his lover. I said yes, and we have been together since then. But…" she hesitated, "perhaps not anymore."

"So around two months, then," Kay clarified. "Can you please confirm this for us, Mr Butz?"

"It's true," Larry said from where he was sitting, voice quiet. "Viola and I have been together for two months."

"I see. Please continue with your testimony, Viola." Kay didn't have to wait long to ask her second question, when she began recalling the events. "If you don't mind me asking… just why were you at the café that night? As I understand, only Mr Dawson worked late, not his employees."

"…I like to walk," Viola said. "I was just looking through the other stores that weren't already shut when I saw the lights were still on in the café. I felt… uneasy. So I looked."

It sounded like a terrible excuse, but try as she might Kay couldn't work out a way to prove it was a lie.

Viola was at the end of her testimony when Kay decided it was time. "I feel as though there's something wrong with what you're telling us, Viola," she admitted. "Yet again, the issue of the store room door has to be brought up."

"Just what are you saying, Ms Faraday?" Kristoph questioned, some of his usual manner gone. "I hope you have some evidence to support your claim?"

"I do." She held up a piece of paper, one that had Larry's testimony on it. "The witness claims that Mr Butz closed the door and locked it before leaving the crime scene," Kay informed them. "But Mr Butz said that the door was open."

"_Objection!_" Kristoph yelled. "Miss Faraday, we know for a fact that the door _was_ closed. Using the suspect's testimony doesn't suffice for evidence!"

"I'm not finished," Kay told him. "The reason his testimony was dismissed is because the door was found locked by the security guard. So I find it strange that Mr Butz would have said such a thing." She slammed her hand to the desk. "After all… he was the one who locked the door, according to our current witness! So why then would he testify to say that it was open, causing such a blatant and obvious contradiction? It would only make him look suspicious!"

"Quite right, Ms Faraday!" the judge said, eyes wide. "It doesn't make any sense at all!"

"Furthermore, Viola hasn't testified to seeing any sign of Turner Carter, though we know he was there! Also, why didn't she do anything to alert security, when she knew full well she witnessed a murder?" Kay shook her head. "Yet another fact that doesn't add up, wouldn't you say?"

The courtroom was now a buzz of chatter, people speculating that Larry was looking less suspicious by the moment.

"Good going, Kay," Miles complimented. "But don't stop. You have people listening to what you have to say, so now's the time to explain just why Larry's fingerprints would be on the murder weapon, as well as bringing up the issue of the keys."

Kay nodded in agreement. "We also have to consider the fact that Larry works at the café," she announced. "Wouldn't that explain just how his prints are on the murder weapon? He would have used that knife before, but certainly not for murder!" She paused. "When you think about it, the whole scenario sounds a little odd, doesn't it? Why wouldn't he have completely washed the blood off the knife rather than just wiping it? Why didn't he get rid of his prints while he was there? These are the most troubling concerns I have."

"_Objection!_" Kristoph yelled. "Surely the court isn't being fooled by this? Ms Faraday herself has said that Mr Butz isn't known for his intellect. Therefore, he could have testified to say the door was open in order to make the defendant look suspicious, overlooking the fact that it was impossible. That could also be the case with the knife. Furthermore, perhaps Mr Carter arrived _after_ the witness left? That would clear up any contradictions there. And might I remind you, Ms Faraday, that Miss Viola had just witnessed a murder?" His glasses gleamed. "She certainly would have felt shocked, and threatened. What if Mr Butz had seen her, and decided to get rid of her as well? She would have wanted to get as far away from the scene as possible. It was a stroke of bad luck that she didn't pass a security guard on her way out of the building."

"I… didn't see anybody," Viola murmured. "Not a soul."

"Also, you wash utensils after their use, don't you?" Kristoph continued. "Mr Butz fingerprints shouldn't have been on the knife from when he was working, as it should have been washed since!"

"Though your explanations make sense, Mr Gavin, I'm afraid they won't work," Kay said. "I have one last problem." She looked around the courtroom, knowing that she had all their attention. Casting a glance at Larry, she saw that he was looking slightly more hopeful. "How did Turner Carter get into the café in the first place?"

"Wh-What?" Kristoph stuttered, the question taking him off-guard.

"He's not an employee, so how did he somehow gain access when he had no key? It wasn't found on him when he was arrested. Somebody else must have played a part." Kay elaborated. "Perhaps… the same person who set Mr Butz up?"

"Ah, so you're having the same thoughts that I am…" Edgeworth said quietly next to her. "It seems like a logical conclusion."

The courtroom was silent. "Larry," Kay asked, "I need you to tell us the truth. Why were you really there that night?"

The man looked up, and after a few moments, hung his head. "I-I'm sorry. I lied yesterday; I didn't go to the café to get a pay raise. The truth is… she told me to come." He looked up at Viola. "She said she wanted to meet me in the café at 7:30."

It was the answer Kay had been expecting. "I wonder…" she murmured, "does Viola have access to the café? A key, as Larry does?" She looked at the women, shaking her head. "I don't suppose that you and Larry were working together on the day of the murder, Miss Viola?"

The woman was silent for a few moments. "Yes. We were working together."

"Larry, did you go home before Viola did?" Kay asked, once again directing her attention him.

"I left before my shift ended," Larry muttered softly, almost as if he was working out the truth for himself. "She told me to go. She said she'd wash up the dishes… and the knives."

The muttering increased in the room.

"Surely you're not suggesting that this witness… was the murderer?" Kristoph asked, laughing. "Preposterous. She hasn't got a motive. Furthermore, you have no solid evidence!"

"She could have just the same motive you suggested Mr Butz did," Kay retorted. "That she was unhappy with her wage. What I'm saying is that it's impossible to cast suspicion on Mr Butz while ignoring this witness and her involvement! Was it she who was the key, both metaphorically and physically? The one who allowed Turner Carter to enter the café when he needed to, for whatever reason? Nobody can deny that this is suspicious! She had many opportunities to be an accomplice, to set him up! Is it just a coincidence that this knife's handle," she said, pointing to it, "is made of metal, preserving fingerprints almost _too_ well?"

The courtroom momentarily erupted into chaos.

"Kay, there's one more piece of information you need to find out!" Miles urged, trying to talk above the noise. "She's hiding her identity. The trial will be extended another day by the looks of things, but you need to work out who she is before then! And right now, she'll have to answer."

"Got it!" Kay replied, just as the judge's gravel sounded. "Miss Viola!" she said quickly. "I demand you tell us who you are! Your full name, right now!" For a moment, she thought she may have been too blunt. She didn't care.

But the women who looked back at her was unfazed. She blinked a few times, looking as if she accepted that the game was up. "…Cadaverini," she said at last. "My name is Violetta Cadaverini."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Here, have an early chapter. I won't have time to upload anything tomorrow, so being as nice as I am I finished it today so it could be uploaded it sooner :D Aren't I such a nice person? …Yeah, I suppose that's debatable.**

**~Clide**


	7. Falling Into Place

"A Cadaverini… well, I can hardly say I expected this to happen," Miles admitted, walking alongside Kay on the footpath. "Yet again this case has taken an interesting turn, wouldn't you agree?"

Though it had only just hit afternoon, the air had a chill about it, multiple clouds shielding the sun's rays. Kay had been forced to put on jacket, deciding afterwards that wearing her old scarf and gloves couldn't hurt either. She'd missed both of them. Edgeworth too had felt the cold sting, wearing a large coat that was similar to Detective Gumshoe's, though grey.

"And we only have one more day to settle everything," Kay replied. She couldn't help grinning. "We're going to have to work harder now. So, just where are we going?" As soon as the trial had ended, they'd left. Kay had expected them to take his car, but found that they were walking across the footpath instead. "We could be wasting time."

"This will be worth the delay, trust me," Edgeworth responded. "There's little point in returning to the crime scene for now. What we need is information on Violetta Cadaverini… and Turner Carter, if possible." He turned a corner, and she followed. "Wright has worked on a case that involved the Cadaverini mob before. Though the detective was also assigned to the case, Wright's seen what Viola is like first hand. He may know more details. Detective Gumshoe in the meantime is trying to gather information on the defendant."

"We don't know much about him, do we?" the thief said. "Only that he's old, and worked as an accountant. Anyway, can you explain to me who the Cadaverinis are? I've heard of them, but it sounds like you know more about them."

"The Cadaverinis are a powerful mob that have been here in Los Anglos for a while now, the biggest group of criminals we've seen to date." Edgeworth began. "As the time's gone on, they've only become more influential. It's gotten to the point where any attempts to catch them aren't taken seriously, because it's been tried too many times before. Nobody can touch them. As for Turner Carter… last night I tried to gather some information. There was none."

"Huh…" Kay murmured. "…that still doesn't explain why we're walking."

There was a moment of silence before he replied. "It just seemed like an ideal time for a walk, in all honesty. Some moments need to be savoured."

Kay nodded, understanding what he meant. The last few days had been rushed and frantic, no time left aside for a slight let up. An interval was needed to cool off; she should have expected him to suggest it. She slipped her gloved hand into his, and he gripped it gently.

They walked along the path for a little longer, and Kay felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as they continued. She was sure it had nothing to do with the cold. Miles noticed it too, holding her hand a little tighter. The atmosphere became tense.

"It feels like somebody's watching us," Kay whispered after the feeling hadn't subsided for another minute.

Edgeworth nodded. "I feel we're getting closer to them. Stay alert." Though his voice was low, it was clear he was anxious about what they would find. They walked at their normal pace, and Kay felt the feeling increase; they were indeed getting closer. Eventually Miles stopped, placing his hands inside his pockets, seeming to rummage through them. "Now where did I put that…" he muttered to himself, shuffling away from Kay slightly towards a bush.

Before she knew what had happened, he'd reached behind it suddenly, grabbing hold of something. A startled yelp was heard, and he withdrew his hand, a person coming up with it.

The woman slapped his hand away, huffing. "Edgey-poo!" she scolded. Her expression then melted as she examined his shocked expression, sighing contently. "If you wanted to be rough with me, you could have just asked, dearie."

Kay placed her hand over her mouth, relief rushing through her. She couldn't help the laughter that now plagued her, looking at the two people in front of her. Her hands to the sides of her stomach, she was unable to stop herself. She was sure that she would have been doing an exact impression of Calisto Yew. She just couldn't believe that after these years, Oldbag was still persisting… surely her age would have gotten the better of her by now?

Edgeworth looked at her for a moment, eyebrows raised, before turning to the woman, hastily letting go of her arm. "Ahem. Might I ask what you were doing in a bush, examining out actions for some time? Rather intently, too."

"Of course, nothing escapes your notice, does it, Edgey-poo?" Oldbag gushed, batting her eyelids. It was uncanny how her appearance had changed so little over the years. "I've _missed_ you! Posters in my room simply aren't enough anymore… I needed to see you in _person_! The girl doesn't deserve your attention. Besides, I have information you might be interested in."

"P-Posters?" Miles spluttered, eyes wide. The second half of her sentence sunk in, and he regained his composure, sighing. "Pause a moment… you have information? What sort of information would you be referring to?"

"Information about your case, of course!" Oldbag said gleefully. "I was the security guard that arrested the man at the crime scene!"

Edgeworth couldn't help groaning, his hand covering his face. "First Larry, now Oldbag…" Kay barely heard him say under his breath. "There is no way this can get any worse." He straightened up, his expression staying blank.

Kay couldn't help laughing again, making her feel like a child once more. She liked the feeling.

Oldbag shot her an annoyed look. "Quiet, whippersnapper!" she barked. "Let the grown-ups talk!" She turned back to Edgeworth, smiling. One of her hands neared closer to his arm. "I was the one who arrested Turner Carter… aren't you proud of me, Edgey-poo? I can tell you all about the arrest, if you'd like. It may cost something though."

Before the thief could begin laughing at Edgeworth's now-twitching eyebrow, he turned to her. "How very kind of you, Ms Oldbag," he said. "However, this _is_ Kay's case. If anything, this should concern her more than me. Perhaps you'd like to talk to her instead?"

Kay's smile faded quickly.

Oldbag scowled, glancing at her. "I hardly want to talk to a child, Edgey-poo, I want to talk to _you_! She has nothing I want. I was only going to request a small kiss on the cheek from you as payment, but I may have to up the price now, since I don't like her." Her eyes gleamed, looking at him.

"She is hardly a child. I believe this is our time to leave," Edgeworth announced. He held out his hand for Kay's and began walking, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Wait!" Oldbag protested, running alongside them. "Just one kiss, Edgey-poo! I'll tell you everything you want to know!"

Edgeworth continued to walk, increasing the pace. "Believe me when I say that no measure of information is worth that," he replied quickly. "I'd appreciate if you now left Kay and I to investigate on our own. We have no need for any of your… _assistance_."

All was silent for a few more moments, until Kay found herself stumbling forward roughly, a result of sudden contact on her back. For a moment, her feet could find no ground, and she was falling. She closed her eyes as she prepared to crash against the hard concrete. Luckily, she did not.

Edgeworth quickly put his arm out to catch her, steadying her soon after. "Are you alright?" he asked. After receiving the quick nod, he looked back at Oldbag, who was now enraged.

"How could you be so heartless, Edgey-poo? I'm only doing this as a favour to you, believe me! One little kiss and you get all the information you could want! It's because of this girl, isn't it?" Her voice became quicker. "Well, back in my day elders were respected and treated like royalty! You never took away things from your elders, it was a disgrace! Ev-" She soon stopped, taking a hasty step backwards when she realised that she was being glared at.

Edgeworth's eyes narrowed, becoming colder than she'd seen before. "Ms Oldbag. I will ask you once more to leave, before I get the police involved. No information you have will be useful to us; we know that you arrested Mr Carter after seeing him at the crime scene, and that the storeroom door was locked. If there was any more to it, it was already a legal obligation for you to report it." He took a step forward. "Unfortunately, I have had to put up with you for too long. I've tolerated it when it's just affected me; however harming my fiancéecrosses the line."

"_F-Fiancée_?"

Edgeworth nodded. "Precisely. Now, unless you want the police called in-"

"Edgey-poo! How could you be so vile to cheat on me and get _engaged_!" Oldbag demanded, anger beginning to replace her fear. "Just because she's _younger_! All men are the same, pathetic creatures!"

"I will not honour that statement with a response."

Without looking back, he and Kay continued along the footpath that lead to the agency, ignoring the insults being yelled from behind them.

"You know," Kay said after she was out of earshot, "I think her head might have exploded if you told her that I was pregnant."

"If that were the case, I would have considered it."

* * *

><p>Eventually, they arrived at a small building that was across from the Gatewater Hotel. Kay hadn't been there before. She examined the sign above the door; she could vaguely make out the words <em>Wright and Co. Law Offices<em>, before they had been painted over in bright colours to read _Wright Talent Agency_.

"So this is his new business?" she asked as Miles knocked on the door.

"Yes. I've yet to see the new office for myself, actually," he replied.

"I'll get it!" a cheerful voice called from inside. The door was flung open, and a girl in a pale blue magician's outfit stood in the doorway. "Oh, hi Kay! Hi Edgey!" she greeted, grinning. "I haven't seen you guys since the party!"

The prosecutor cringed with the name. "You've been spending too much time with Larry, haven't you?" he asked. "Either way, it's very nice to see you again, Trucy. May we come in for a few moments?"

"Sure! I'll get Daddy." She left them there, running up the stairs to find him.

"Edgey…" Miles muttered, walking inside. "Of all the things…"

Kay laughed, nudging him. "Trust me, it could be worse. The name isn't as bad as Edgey-poo."

Before he could respond, Phoenix came down the stairs, Trucy close behind him. "Hello, Kay, Edgeworth," he greeted with a nod. "Why do I have the feeling that this isn't a visit to request one of our talents?"

"Talents?" Edgeworth echoed.

"Yes!" Trucy announced. She jumped past Phoenix, taking off her hat. "For example, I'm the magician! I can make anything appear out of my panties… and my hat." As if to prove her point, she pulled a flower from it, handing it to Kay. "I can also make myself disappear! Daddy's talent is piano playing." She leant forward to them. "Don't tell anybody, but that's just a cover story. His real talent's playing poker."

"I see," Edgeworth replied. "Well-"

"So! What talent are you needing?" Trucy demanded.

"Your father's knowledge of past cases."

Trucy looked disappointed. "Aw, that's no fun! You and Daddy are so boring. Oh well… Kay, do you want to come see my new magic trick?" She placed her hat back on her head, making a coin appear in her hand. "I can make myself rich with it, and not just because I'm making money appear out of nowhere!"

"I'd love to, Trucy!" Kay replied eagerly, until she got a look from the one next to her. She sighed. "But I'm sorry. I'm here for the same reason as Miles."

"You're all so boring!" the magician protested.

"Sorry, Trucy," Phoenix said. "Anyway, isn't there a re-run of some of the Gramarye's shows on television you wanted to watch?"

"Oh! How could I forget?" Trucy said. "Well, see you Edgey, Kay!"

"Edgey…" Miles muttered again as she left.

"Why don't you come into the living room?" Phoenix suggested, gesturing for them to follow him into the cluttered space. It was full of magician's supplies that Kay longed to reach out and examine, though she knew the piles would likely collapse if she did so.

Phoenix took a few things from the seats, sitting down. He nodded to the couch that was across from him, surprisingly supply-free. Kay and Miles took a seat.

"We need some information, Wright," Edgeworth began. "Kay's working on a case right now, and we have an interesting witness. I believe you've met her before… Violetta Cadaverini."

For a moment, Phoenix's expression didn't change. Then he laughed softly, extending his arm for a bottle of grape juice that was on the table next to him. Opening the top, he chuckled again. "So what has Viola gotten caught up in this time? Is she assisting in something again? This would be the murder case that Larry's gotta caught up in, isn't it?"

"Yes, and we suspect she's involved," Miles replied. "Apparently the two of them were in a relationship. We would like to know about the case you worked on six years ago."

"Very well," Phoenix replied, taking a drink from the bottle. He thought for a moment. "Viola was strange, though that doesn't cover it. She kept on offering us coffee and biscuits that we suspected had been laced with something… it almost gave Maya a heart attack when we realised it." Taking another drink, he frowned. "I think she'd been involved in some sort of accident before. A car crash? Yeah, that was it. That was a year before I saw her, but she was affected by it. She had a bandage over her head from it still."

"Gavin did say something about an accident," Kay murmured. "He already knew who she was from the start. Oh! That would be why her hair's parted oddly… perhaps she still has some sort of cover over the wound?"

"So you're up against Kristoph then?" Phoenix asked. "That's interesting. How many days has the trial lasted?"

"The second day has just ended," Miles informed him.

"Good job for lasting this long, Kay," Phoenix complimented. "Trust me when I say that less… experienced prosecutors don't usually get a second day when they're up against Kristoph in court. To last till your third is an admirable effort."

"Wright, do you know any more about the Cadaverini mob in general?" Edgeworth questioned. "I feel as though we should learn more about them, and not just Viola. After all, if she's involved, then perhaps more of the family is too. The sooner we know, the better chance we have of containing everything."

"Not a bad theory. I have the feeling that Viola's been used a lot in her lifetime, so it's possible. I'm not the man to talk to about it, though." He placed down the bottle, looking up at both of them. "I know somebody who is. Edgeworth, you'd have the right authority to get there. Go and visit Godot."

* * *

><p>"It's been a while since I've had visitors."<p>

"Thank you for letting us come here," Kay said earnestly, trying to get a better look at the person behind the glass screen.

His hair was white, though tangled and dirty, and the prison uniform that he'd been forced to wear seemed to hang off him limply. Whatever strength he had previously had was long gone, she thought. Slowly, he turned around, and she stopped herself from gasping. This man's – Godot's – eyes were milky white, staring into nothingness.

"If you don't mind, Mr Armando, we require information about the mob known as the Cadaverinis," Edgeworth began. "According to Wright, you worked on the same case he did all those years ago, but seemed to have an extended amount of knowledge about them. Vioetta Cadaverini has appeared in a case we're working on as a witness, though right now she's looking more like a suspect. We need more information about her."

There was a long pause. "Viola Cadaverini… it's been a while since I've heard that name," Godot replied eventually. "Granddaughter of the renowned Bruto Cadaverini, though he hasn't shown his face in a while, if my information is correct."

"Bruto Cadaverini?" Miles asked. "He's missing?"

Armando seemed to consider it. "If a man goes on holiday, is he considered missing? No. The government have just had trouble tracking his whereabouts for a while. Ever since the Furio Tigre case, he hasn't been seen by anybody outside the Cadaverini mob." He seemed to pull a cup of coffee from nowhere, taking a sip. "I doubt he's dead. Bruto wouldn't make a mistake like that."

"I have heard his reputation of being careful, yes," Miles agreed. "So then, what of Viola? Do you know what happened to her after the case?"

"Violetta Cadaverini couldn't be arrested, if that's what you mean," Godot replied. "The Cadaverinis have too much power. The police were going to apprehend her for being an accomplice, but Bruto stepped in fast. Made a few big threats, got her off the hook. As head of the investigation, I made it my mission to find the Cadaverini's headquarters, to bring Bruto in myself." He laughed dryly. "It was an impossible feat, but men can dream. He reminded me too much of the other."

"I'm sorry, but who do you mean by the other?" the thief asked.

"The one who took my kitten. Redd White. Too much power… too much intimidation on others." His eyes didn't move, but he seemed to be studying Kay. "Why have I not heard of you before, then? A new prosecutor?"

"I'm Kay Faraday. And yes, only two months." She couldn't help but smile. There was something about Diego that she liked.

"You sound like her, a little," Godot mused. "My kitten. So…bold."

Kay cast a glance to Miles, who was looking serious. "Mia Fey was a wonderful lady."

Everything clicked into place for Kay at that moment. She had heard both the stories of Diego Armando and Mia Fey, but until that point hadn't realised that they fit together. She felt a heavy feeling in her heart.

"Indeed she was," Godot agreed, lips on the brim of the mug. He took another sip. "Viola went back to Tender Lender, the loan-shark business that Furio Tigre was running before his arrest. As for the rest of the Cadaverinis, just prior to me being brought here, they changed their path of income. Began going into the warehouse business, blackmailing owners to give up millions of dollars at a time of goods. It was a sizeable profit for them."

This news struck at Kay. "Warehouses…" she murmured. "Hold on… Charles Dawson was getting stolen goods! Every single store in _Dawson's_ had them!"

Edgeworth looked at her. "Ah… you believe that the goods could have been from one of the Cadaverini's warehouses?"

"It fits…" Kay said excitedly.

"Not quite," Miles said regretfully. "It only provides a motive for Viola, not Turner Carter. It's also possible that Mr Dawson was working alongside the Cadaverinis, and giving them part of the profits he received."

The man sitting on the other side of the glass seemed to freeze. His head snapped up suddenly. "Did you say…Turner Carter? Describe him. Passing me a picture is useless, with these dead eyes of mine." After hearing what they had to say, about the scratch on his head and the strange coloured skin, Godot threw his head back, laughing loudly. He slammed the mug onto the bench in front of him, coffee splashing onto the floor. "That's no Turner Carter."

"What?" Miles and Kay exclaimed simultaneously. "Then… _who_?"

"Turner Carter is Bruto Cadaverini's sad excuse for an alias," Godot informed them. "It's shallow; you'll only find that it says the basics, like his 'job' and age. Nothing more." He shook his head. "Didn't you wonder how getting information on him was near impossible? It's because there is none. Also, I doubt this Charles Dawson was working with the Cadaverinis. They tend to hate business men."

"It's falling into place," Kay breathed. "The motive, how Bruto gained access… everything."

"That may be so, but we're lacking evidence."

"Negative, aren't you?" Godot commented. "Men need to broaden their horizons during their quests. As the head investigator, I kept countless files on the Cadaverinis. One of them at least would prove this 'Turner Carter's' real identity. Search my old office in the prosecutors' building; I'm certain they're still there. A business man like Charles Dawson would have kept a track of who he stole from, too. There's bound to be files somewhere about it."

"Mr Armando… thank you," Kay said. "You have no idea how grateful we are for this."

"Don't thank me. A man like me deserves no thank you. But leave now. You have some things to find." For the first time, he smiled. "Pull the curtain on this case and put an end to the Cadaverinis."

"Mr Armando?" Edgeworth said as they were walking out of the door. "I'd like to offer to supply your coffee for the next month, as repayment."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," the other man replied. Again he lifted the mug to his lips, tasting the hot beverage inside. "Start with a week. I drink at least thirty of these a day."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey, guys. Very unfortunately, I have some bad news.**

**It seems that yet again I've bitten off much more than I can chew. Juggling school, work, social crap, a project that I stupidly volunteered to help out with and four extra-curricular activities isn't going in my favour (I'm serious when I say this – the last three tests/assessments I've taken I've failed. I've requested my parents to take away my laptop, it's gotten so bad. Not only that, but it's much harder for me to interact with friends/family as I once could). Not only is my education really stuffing up, I feel my writing is suffering too. Part of me is ashamed to even be uploading this chapter, but I really don't have the strength to fix anything that may be wrong with it right now. I'm sorry.**

**That's why I've decided that updates for this aren't going to be every five days, as they usually are. They will be much slower. I really, really don't want to have to do this, but I need to prioritize. I'm not capable of updating as often as I usually do anymore, with everything that's going on. If I did, you'd be getting terrible quality chapters, and that's not fair on your guys. I'm better than that.**

**So when will the next chapter be uploaded? Truthfully, I have no idea. I'm trying to manage my time wisely, so weekends will be the only opportunity I have to cram writing. But then there's editing it as well, which takes a while.**

**I can promise you something; I have ****not**** stopped writing this story. I will finish. That I swear on my honour as a prosecu- writer. Until next time, my amazing readers.**

**~Clide**


	8. Dedication

"I believe that will suffice, Detective," Miles replied on the phone as they exited the prison. He'd dialled immediately after leaving Godot, knowing that the case was far from solved. "After that, you need to retrieve files from his office which contain anything about the Cadaverini mob, mostly about Bruto and Violetta Cadaverini, if possible." He paused, listening to the reply. "Very well, where shall we meet again?"

"The crime scene," Kay said suddenly, an idea springing to mind.

Miles frowned, but nodded. "Kay's just suggested the crime scene. We'll see you soon." He flicked his phone shut, turning to her. "Is there a particular reason you wish to return there? I'm not sure that there's purpose, now that we're searching for documents about stolen goods."

"Exactly my point," the thief pointed out. "Where else are we going to look? Gavin found the first documents in Dawson's apartment; if there were anymore there, then we would already know. Besides, yesterday I found a place that might have some answers."

* * *

><p>They arrived back at the <em>Dawson's <em>shopping complex at the same time Gumshoe did. He was looking pleased with himself. "Sir! I managed to get access to Mr Godot's old office, and get all the files about the Cadaverinis! I haven't looked through them yet, but there were a lot about Viola and Bruto. I still can't believe it though… Turner Carter's really him!"

"I know, right?" Kay replied. "And great, Gummy! Now we've just got to find some documents about what Charles Dawson stole!"

"But, pal…" Gumshoe said, unsure, "where are we going to find something like that? We don't even know if they're in this building, and it would take us too long to search it. This place is huge!

"I have a feeling I know where they are," Kay told them, mysteriously, tapping her nose. She enjoyed the new feeling of having information they didn't, and wanted to savour it for as long as possible. "You'll just have to trust me, won't you?" She turned and made her way into the building.

Gumshoe and Edgeworth exchanged dubious glances before following behind her inside.

It was only after getting to the third floor and into the café that she finally decided to tell them. "When Ema and I were investigating here yesterday, I was bored, so I was looking into the shelves. I ended up finding a safe, stuffed into the wall," she explained as she led them to the kitchen.

"A safe…?" Edgeworth echoed, considering the prospect. "Well, it does seem likely that he'd hide some information about the goods there. Having everything in the same place of his apartment wouldn't have been wise."

Gumshoe peered into the shelves, frowning. "I'm not seeing any safe, pal," he admitted, looking at her. "Where was it?"

Kay smiled sheepishly, glancing up to the ceiling where the top levels of the shelves were stacked, high above the ground.

The detective's jaw dropped when he understood. "Pal!" he said, aghast. "These things aren't safe at all! If you had of fallen, you could really have hurt yourself… why didn't Ema say anything? I told her to look after you!"

"I'm sure that Kay is more than capable of climbing a few feet of shelves," Edeworth voiced, though he cast a dubious glance at how high up they were. "You shouldn't worry so much, Detective. This is the Great Thief we're talking about, after all." He looked to the top, frowning. "So this poses a difficult question; how to get it down. Staying up there, trying all the combinations, isn't really an option."

"It was sticking out a fair bit," Kay informed them. "The hole in the wall wasn't quite the right shape, so it's probably possible to pull it out." She grabbed hold of one of the ledges, hoisting herself up slightly.

"Kay!" Gumshoe protested, pulling her down. "Pal… let me climb it! Or at least use a ladder or something."

"With all due respect, Detective, you don't have the correct build to climb these shelves," Edgeworth pointed out. "It would take a lighter-weighted person; we don't want them to collapse. And do you see any ladders around? Though I dislike the idea, Kay really is the only one of us who can do it."

"I don't like this, sir," Gumshoe voiced.

Irritation crept into Kay slightly, but she soon found a way around it. Though she adored him, she knew Gumshoe's faults. All she need was for him to look away for a moment. "Hey, Gummy," she said, looking behind him while frowning, "is it just me or do you think that's an odd place for a distraction?"

Before she'd said the last word, his neck turned slightly. She quickly grabbed hold of one layer of the shelves, pulling herself upwards as her legs began to contribute. Soon, she'd almost reached the top, taking the opportunity to balance herself. She looked down, noticing that Edgeworth's head was in his hand, as though he couldn't believe that it had worked.

"I'm not sure whether that deserves a pay cut or not," he said in disbelief.

Gumshoe seemed gloomy as he turned back around, looking up at Kay. "That was mean, pal."

"Well, even if you can reach me now, I'd probably end up being hurt if you pulled me down," Kay said gleefully, looking at the back wall. As expected, she saw the safe. "So you probably shouldn't try."

"Umph. I'll here if you fall, then," he replied grudgingly.

Realising that the task was going to be harder than she'd anticipated, Kay leant forward, touching the safe. Placing one of her hands to the side of the shelf as a little more support, she used the other to grasp the side of the safe, pulling it forward. She hadn't expected much, but still felt slightly downcast when nothing happened. She quickly recognised that, if she was indeed going to take the safe from the wall, she would need to break it from the wall.

Still having one hand pressed to the side of the shelf, she began to fiddle with plaster. Luckily, it seemed rather fragile, crumbling when she poked at it with her finger. She worked at it, and before she knew it all sides around the safe were free of it.

"How're you going, pal?" Gumshoe questioned.

"Alright, I think," Kay replied. She grabbed hold of the side of the safe, pulling. To her delight, it slid forward slightly. "I've got it!"

"Good job," Miles told her. "Just be careful now. There's no need to rush."

Knowing she could stand, she now used both hands on the safe, easing it forward. She got it halfway out, before it suddenly became stuck. Annoyed, she examined around it, trying to work out where it was caught. "Move, you stupid thing!" she hissed under her breath, tugging it roughly.

Suddenly, the shelf lurched.

Kay felt herself fall downwards, the scream caught in her throat. Her hands instinctively grasped the safe for support, but it did not good to prevent the inevitable, as it came down with her. She felt herself fall against something padded, then nothing.

"Kay!" Gumshoe's voice rang out.

Her eyes opened groggily, and she stumbled to her feet. For a moment, she was confused. How had she not hit the hard, cold floor, instead somehow escaping unharmed? Looking behind her, she saw that Gumshoe was there, grabbing hold of her. He was looking slightly paler than usual. "You okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"F-Fine… thanks," Kay mumbled, her mind still reeling. "Gummy… what _happened_?"

"I-I dunno, pal," he replied. "The shelves moved, it's amazing they didn't collapse! But they weren't the only things… the whole ground just shook!"

"An earthquake?" Kay suggested before the gravity of her own words hit her. "Oh no," she muttered, looking to her side.

Edgeworth had curled into ball on the floor, muscles tensed. He was completely still, hair hanging down on him limply. His hands were gripping too tightly to his legs, like he was trying to hold his very body together. They could both hear his breathing in the form of ragged gasps, shaking dangerously.

Before Kay could move towards him, an erupting noise seemed to echo from one of the floors below them, causing the ground to shake once more. She grabbed hold of the bench, though it did no good, as it moved too. She felt sick, the situation surreal. When the main shaking stopped, the floor seemed to be on a slight slant, still moving. Her blood turned to ice when she realised what was happening.

"This isn't an earthquake. Something's exploded inside the building." Shoving the safe into his hands, she turned to Gumshoe. "Get out of here, Gummy! _Now!_"

"I'm not leaving without you and Mr Edgeworth!" the detective shot back.

If there was ever a time she hated his loyalty, it was then. "Listen to me!" Kay yelled, trying to ignore the lurching in her stomach as the building shook again. "This whole building is going to come down soon! The longer you wait… look, take the safe, the last piece of evidence we need, and _leave_! I'll get out as soon as I get Miles up, I promise."

"Pal-"

"Don't waste any more time!" Kay ordered, running to Edgeworth. "Gummy, please," she pleaded. "Get out of here, there's no point in all of us being left here. You have all the evidence! _Please_." She stared at him, hoping her words were getting through.

"I-I'm so sorry, pal," Gumshoe muttered. "I promised to protect you." He quickly leant forward to hug her, seeming downcast. He turned to go to the door, looking back at her once more.

"Go!" Kay urged. She only turned her full attention back to Edgeworth when he was out of sight. "Miles," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, "this isn't an earthquake. You've got to get up." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

A small sound was heard from him, but nothing legible. The grip in his hands only tightened when the building shook again, this time causing the slant to become greater. How much time did they have?

"Miles!" Kay yelled, louder this time. "You've gotta get up! We can't waste time… please!"

_He'll come round eventually_, she told herself. But eventually would be too late. Earthquakes had such a large impression on him. 'Even the brightest person can fall at the hands of emotions,' as Kristoph had said. But he had to fight it. Hell, she would make him fight it.

"Are… _are you trying to kill us_!" Kay found herself yelling at him. She shook him harder this time, eyes stinging. "This isn't an earthquake! Any moment now, this whole building could come down, because somebody wants it to! We don't have time for this!"

The uneven breathing stopped, becoming calmer. Slowly, his head raised. For a moment, his expression was broken, like he didn't believe what she was saying. The expression on her face proved otherwise; she was telling the truth. His eyes soon widened as the floor shook once more, another loud noise coming from the other side of the building. "I apologize for keeping you waiting," he said hurriedly. His hands unclenched, and he rose. "We need to leave immediately."

She could only nod, a trickle of relief running through her.

* * *

><p>The two, after dodging the toppled furniture of the café, found themselves running down the escalator, which was no longer working. Miles was increasingly grateful that the complex had been blocked off from the public, as it would have been an uproar of panic otherwise. Turning a sharp corner, a sudden thought occurred to him. "Kay, where's Detective Gumshoe?"<p>

"I told him to leave!" she panted in reply. "He has the safe… it was the last piece of evidence we need! The longer he stayed, the bigger chance it had of being destroyed!"

At that moment, one of the passing shop's windows shattered as the force inside it blew apart. Both Kay and Edgeworth were thrown aside from it, hitting the wall of another store. Both scrambled to their feet as fast as possible, shaking. The bombs seemed to be placed at random; it was a close call.

"Are you alright?" Edgeworth asked. For a moment, he paled as the ground shook vigorously beneath them, but soon regained his thoughts.

"Yeah. Are you?" He quickly nodded. "We can't waste any more time." She quickly threw off her boots – they were terrible to run in – and rose further. Something in her foot seemed to feel out of place, as she landed on it awkwardly, but she ignored it. "Come'on." As the building lurched again, it was just another painful reminder that they were still on the second floor. They had a long way to go before leaving.

Before either could begin running again, a large movement caught their eyes. A canister that had previously been leaning against the wall of the now-ruined store fell over near them. The effect was immediate, as gas spread rapidly through their surroundings, engulfing everything.

She didn't have time to process the event properly. Kay felt her body being lifted up, thought she couldn't see anything. "Don't breath!" Miles ordered loudly, beginning to run through it.

There was nothing but a white mist surrounding them. Keeping her mouth shut, doing as she was told, she tried to ignore the uncomfortable tightening in her stomach. Glad that she had chosen to wear her scarf, she placed it over her mouth in an attempt to block out any chance she had of breathing accidentally.

It wasn't an option, she knew that. Breathing in whatever gas had escaped wouldn't only harm her. At the same time, she couldn't help but doubt her own will. She fastened the scarf around her mouth tighter, trying to ignore the urge to breathe. She knew that Miles had it much worse than she did.

The ground continued to shake and slant underneath them. The sudden jolts caused pain to constantly shoot down to her ankle, and she was grateful that she'd gotten rid of the boots, which only would have made it worse.

Every time the ground shook beneath them, Miles would tense up. In all logic, he knew it wasn't an earthquake. That didn't stop the flashbacks from entering his mind, flashbacks of being trapped in the elevator, fighting for oxygen while watching his father try to reason with Yanni Yogi. Feeling the need for air in his system didn't help the situation.

But he didn't allow himself to dwell in the nightmares. In his arms at that moment was somebody he had to protect, or rather, _two_ that he had to protect. He would run as long as he had to in order to fulfil that duty.

To both of their reliefs, the gas finally cleared, and they reached the bottom floor. Miles placed Kay on her feet while allowing most of her weight to be on him, breathing in deeply. She did the same.

"We're… almost there," he gasped, letting the air flow to his lungs. "Did you breathe in anything?"

"N-No," she panted, still taking in as much oxygen as she could. "Th-Thank you. I know… it would have been hard for you."

"It was more important that you didn't breathe than if I did."

They both looked ahead of them, where the exit was just in sight. The ground wasn't shaking as badly as it had been on the floors above, however they knew they couldn't delay. "Can you run?"

"Yes." Whatever had happened to her ankle wouldn't stop her.

"Then let's go," he said, grabbing her arm while beginning to bound for the exit.

They were halfway there when tragedy struck.

The roof above them, greatly weakened from the tremors that had run through the building, crumbled, crashing down. Large pieces of rubble fell atop each other, and suddenly the exit was no longer visible. Shielding it were remains of the building, reaching up far high much to be climbed over, or to move out of the way.

Kay couldn't tell what she was feeling at that point. Anguish, disappointment, and fear were definitely there, however only shallowly. She only later realised that it was disbelief, the inability to accept that their one way of leaving the building, only seconds ago seeming possible, had been eradicated. She stared, the information slowly sinking in.

They weren't going to get out.

"No…" Edgeworth murmured. Falling to his knees, he looking hopelessly at the destruction that she just been created. "Nrgh… NO!" He held on to her tighter, shaking. "This c-can't be happening… we were so close…"

"Miles-" Her words were cut off as he flung his arms further around her, holding her tightly. She could only return it, knowing that it was what they both needed.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured. "If I had of come to just a little earlier… we could have made it. You didn't deserve this, Kay. I truly cannot express how much this is my fault. You should have gone with Gumshoe when you had the chance."

The thief felt her heart sink into her chest. "No… there's another way, surely? A-Another exit?" She knew herself that there wasn't. The investigation on the stolen goods had caused the building to be blocked off from everybody but the police. To ensure this, they'd barricaded all exits but one. She was shocked to feel the wetness on his cheeks as he shook his head. "Don't think this was your fault. The Yatagarasu, remember?" She forced a smile. "We don't give up, or abandon. Til the end… we searched out the truth. Nothing we've done today has been in vain; there's enough to convict Bruto Cadaverini."

The words seemed so foreign. Was it really the end?

Again the building shook, another explosion going off somewhere.

"You never deserved this," Edgeworth repeated again, loosening the hold to look at her. "You and our child."

"Neither did you."

They didn't know how much time had passed. All Kay could remember was the sensation of comfort that resulted from being embraced so tightly, yet there was always the dread in her mind that the third layer of the building would collapse the roof above her soon.

The café would end up killing them. But at the same time, it could easily fall into the lake running alongside the complex. She frowned as her thoughts strung together. Her eyes snapped open, her heart beating frantically. "There's a way we can get out. The café… one of the walls was made completely out of glass. It faces out to the lake. If we smash the glass…"

Edgeworth's eyes widened for the briefest moment. "Kay…" He pulled them up. "No matter how slim the chance, we're going to get out of here. Now, back to where we started."

As they climbed the floors, they realised that the building was in even worse shape than before. Parts of it had broken away completely, making them need to jump to get across to the various sections. For the most part, the gas had cleared away. Neither Miles nor Kay breathed either way.

By the third floor, it was on an unbelievable slant that running was becoming increasingly difficult. The shops closest to the café had been destroyed, creating obstacles that they had to avoid. It was only when they finally arrived at the café that they saw the real problem.

There was scarcely a café left in the first place.

The remnants of the kitchen were non-existent, as well as the storeroom. The only part that could be recognised was the dining area, due to the tables and chairs, though all had topped over and most broken.

Without hesitation, Kay stepped back as Edgeworth immediately picked up a chair, swinging it at the already cracked glass. It shattered completely, the shards falling to the ground beneath them. The building lurched again.

"Ready?" Kay asked, preparing herself.

"Ready."

They both stepped back, grasping each others hands, before leaping from the floor and into the air. As they fell, the wind rushed passed them quickly, and seconds later they crashed into the cold, unforgiving water, the contact between them lost.

The lake was much deeper than Kay had anticipated, and a great deal more cold. She kicked, realising that her ankle was near useless. She was forced to rely mostly on her arms as she struggled to the surface, he jacket weighing her down. She knew she couldn't waste time taking it off.

Finally, she reached it. Breaking the water, she gasped, immediately looked around. She saw no sign of Edgeworth. "Miles!" she yelled, circling frantically. There came a splash from behind her as he too resurfaced. She turned, relieved to see him. He began swimming towards her, reaching her in seconds, arm extending towards her as he treaded the water.

Neither could work out what to say. Whatever they might have was interrupted as they heard the deep rumble from the building behind them. They turned, and could only watch wordlessly as what was left of the _Dawson's_ building collapsed, becoming nothing more than a pile of rubble on the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Making plot twists like a boss, if I do say so myself. God this chapter was a killer to write.**

**I shall take this time to thank you guys. When I'm feeling unmotivated, like the story isn't going anywhere, your kind comments really help me out. So thank you, it means a lot. This chapter is dedicated to you all, and Gumshoe. Why? Because: a) Our Scruffy Detective deserves so much more love and b) I'm getting excited for the movie to come out in English, because the actor who plays him is amazingly handsome. It will be a new view on Gumshoe for sure.**

**~Clide**


	9. Unavoidable

"That was no accident!" Kay gasped, shivering as the coldness of the water trapped her. "Buildings don't just collapse, somebody did that on purpose."

"That's not what I implied," Miles informed her. He was swimming close to her for support. The last thing they needed was for ankle to receive any more damage. "I'm saying that it won't do any good to think about it right now. We need to get away from here. Parts of the building could still collapse into the water; we're not safe here." Though he appeared calm, there was an edge in his voice that said the matter was final. "Don't think about that for now; there are more important things at hand."

"Like what?"

They reached the edge of the water, finally surfacing. Kay was annoyed to learn that she had been reduced nothing more than a crawl; there was no way her ankle was strong enough to take too much weight. She shivered, her layers of clothing hanging off her limply, all heat from them long gone.

Miles noticed this, and quickly wrapped his arms around her. It did no good, as he was soaked from head to toe, but neither cared at that point. Five minutes ago, they believed that they'd die. Freezing of not, the embrace was need. "Like getting you to a hospital. I trust you didn't breath in any of the fumes, but everything that happened just now… hasn't exactly been good. There's also the case of your ankle." He rose. "Please wait here for a moment. I'll try to find Gumshoe; I trust his phone is still working."

"It's not like I can go anywhere else," Kay reminded him.

She stared at what had once been the _Dawson's _building after he was out of sight. Smoke was beginning to rise from what was left of it, the dust not quite settled yet. As Edgeworth had predicted, pieces were sliding into the lake, causing the once calm waters to be clouded with rubble, soft waves now drifting to shore. Kay's heart sank when she realised just what that meant. If there had of been any more evidence inside, it was destroyed. Lost forever, with no chance of recovery.

Her head spun, and she suddenly felt sick. Looking up, the world seemed to be slanting in front of her, a tightening in her stomach that was impossible to ignore. "Gummy…" she gasped. "D-Did you get out?" Her voice shook when she realised that she wasn't sure anymore. Anything could have happened… he could have tripped and injured himself on the way down, perhaps falling unconscious. It would have been easy enough for herself and Edgeworth to miss him in the chaos.

She took a few shaky breathes, ignoring the discomfort in her ankle. It had paled in comparison to the throbbing in her head, and the mixture of pain in her stomach.

Gumshoe was her closest friend, or pal as he preferred to say, ever since they'd met again six years ago. Though she'd since then found Ema, and become closer to Miles, Gummy was one of a kind. He'd confided in her things that he hadn't told anybody else, and vice versa. The thought of him disappearing made her feel pain she couldn't describe.

"Pal!" the voice rang from behind her. "Oh… pal!" Before she knew it, she was shielded by a ginormous trench goat, the occupant sobbing. "I-I… you got out! I was so worried, the entrance collapsed and… oh pal… you're safe."

Relief flooded though her.

"We're alright, Detective," Edgeworth put in, coming up from behind them, "though it was an uncomfortably close call, as I'm sure you can tell. I trust you have the safe?"

"Of course I do, sir!" Gumshoe assured him. He let go of Kay, taking the item from one of his pockets. "It was easier than I thought, getting it out. Luckily it fit in my pocket, huh pal? Imagine if I had of dropped it!"

Edgeworth was unamused. "You would have lost more than just your salary."

Gumshoe noticed that Kay was now shivering, hands to her arms in a pathetic attempt to block out the cold. As opposed to moments ago, she had paled considerably, looking slightly dazed. He quickly took off his coat, placing it over her. "Kay?" After receiving no response, he frowned, kneeling down to her. "Mr Edgeworth is right, pal. You need to get out of here."

Kay looked up at the concerned face now in front of her. It seemed twisted and warped, a splitting pain going through her mind. "I-I'm f-fine."

She remembered nothing more from that point.

* * *

><p><em>Blacked out.<em>

_Is Kay going to be alright, Daddy?_

_Have they begun any of the tests yet?_

_Buildings don't just collapse. I'll use all the science I can to find out what happened; I swear it on my Snackoos._

_She's been out a while… sir, is everything okay?_

…_Please, Detective. She'll come around soon…_

So many voices were swirling around in her mind. She couldn't make sense of any of them at first.

What tests? She'd taken plenty of tests to become a prosecutor… were there anymore? Why had nobody informed her? Great, now she'd have to study again, retrieve the mountain of notes she'd locked away in a drawer since taking the final exam, unwilling to see any of them ever again, and go through the painful process once more. Would she still be taking cases? Dammit, that was just another thing to add to the growing list of responsibilities.

_Sir, I think she just said something!_

_With the power of science, I have deduced that it was a groan._

Science? Oh God. Kay had never been good at science. Did she have to take a test for that as well?

…_she groaned again, Daddy._

_She's not in pain, is she sir?_

Pain? Kay could have laughed at the world. She was perfectly comfortable, seeming to be wrapped in many layers. Her whole body felt warm and fuzzy, and she wanted nothing more than to stay in whatever strange place she was forever. If only the voices would shut up, so she could sleep. Those were her thoughts, until she moved. Unfortunately, it was her ankle that first responded, aching with discomfort.

"Ouch."

That had been her voice. Somewhat disorientated, and echoing in her throbbing mind, but it was hers nonetheless.

"I think she's waking up properly, Edgeworth."

"It's probably best if some of us leave. She probably won't be feeling too great to start off with." The statement was followed by something crunching. Some sort of biscuit, maybe? "Scientifically speaking, of course."

"It's settled then. Ema, myself and Trucy will wait outside, until she's feeling a better."

"Much appreciated, Wright."

At this point, the voices were becoming more defined. Instead of just words being forced together, they were forming sentences that she could decipher. She could recognise who was saying what, and she knew that she'd have to wake up soon. No better time than the present. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes.

Though her vision was blurred, she saw enough to know that it was a hospital room. Compared to the amount of people who had occupied the room only moments prior, the crowd was small, only two remaining.

"Hey guys," she said weakly. She smiled for a reason not even she could understand. "What's up?"

"I suppose that depends on how much you remember," one of them replied. She knew immediately that it was Miles. "If we mentioned the entire _Dawson's_ building collapsing, resulting in us jumping from the third floor into a freezing cold lake, would it ring any bells?"

"…yeah." Kay shivered when she remembered plunging into the water, the memory unpleasant. The news hit her hard. "It really did collapse, didn't it? If there was any other evidence in there… anyway, did everybody get out alright?"

"Luckily, the police weren't investigating at that point in time, so the only people in that building were the three of us," the other said. Kay smiled; it was a relief to hear Gumshoe's voice. "Of course, it was blocked off to civilians. As for the evidence…" He rummaged in his pockets, pulling out some pieces of paper. "We got the safe open, pal. As we hoped, the stuff inside was records of all the places the victim stole from."

"The Cadaverini warehouses were on the top of the list," Edgeworth informed her. "It looks as if it was Charles Dawson's favourite placed to retrieve the goods. It would make sense to think that Bruto Cadaverini held a large grudge against him."

Despite the fogginess in her mind, the thief felt bliss surround her. "It's coming together, isn't it? How long did it take you to open the safe?"

Gumshoe suddenly looked down. "Well… after you passed out, I sorta lost it pal. I was so mad, I felt like I would never be calm again! Like Ema said, there was no way the building just collapsed on its own… somebody must have planned it that way, and it got you hurt, too. I threw it on the ground in anger, and the door broke right off."

It wasn't the answer she'd expected. She began laughing, unable to help herself. She suddenly halted. "So… I fainted?"

"It's nothing to worry about," Miles explained, voice softer than usual. "The stress of the situation took its toll, and jumping into an icy lake wouldn't have exactly helped your physical strength. Nonetheless, they took tests, just in case. Thankfully, the news was welcoming. You're alright."

It was only then that she realised she had a drip connected to her arm. She wondered how long she'd been out. Long enough for Ema, Phoenix and Trucy to hear about it, obviously. Knowing that she'd collapsed made her feel uneasy; she wasn't weak. Thieves were supposed to be strong, to withstand bad situations. It wasn't something that Bryne Faraday would have succumbed to.

Something in Gumshoe's pocket beeped, and the detective pulled out his phone. Reading the message, he sighed. "The precinct want to know what's happened, sir. I won't be long." He quickly left the room, dialling as he did so.

"Thank you," Kay said eventually. "For getting me out and all."

"There's nothing to thank me for," Edgeworth replied. He drew his chair closer towards her. "There was no way any decent human being wouldn't have done the same. I'm just thankful that everybody's alright. Apart from your ankle, which will need bandaging and care for a few days, it seems that we defeated the odds."

_All four of us_.

"Are you alright, though?" Kay asked. She knew how it would have been for him inside the building.

"Physically I'm fine," he replied. "Just… a little shocked from today's events. The outcome wasn't what I expected when initially walking into the building. The shaking… didn't help the situation. I apologise for delaying us."

"Don't."

* * *

><p>"I hate blood tests."<p>

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Need I remind you that you weren't conscious when they were being taken?"

"Yeah, but still! My arm hurts." Trying to avoid moving her left arm at all, she looked up at Gumshoe hopefully. "Can I _please_ get a swiss roll now? All of the tests are done, I promise. They said that I should have sugary foods, anyway."

"You've missed the poin-" Edgeworth began.

"Sure, you deserve one, pal!" Gumshoe replied cheerfully. "Give me a moment." He quickly rushed off, in search of a vending machine.

"You could ask him to fetch you one from the café, and he'd scrape together every penny he had to get it," Miles commented. "The detective's dedication to you as a friend and Maggey as a partner is amazing."

"And you as a boss, and friend," Kay reminded him. She afterwards nudged him with her unaffected arm. "Though you're probably the stingiest; he deserves a pay rise, not pay cuts. If he got me a swiss roll from the café, then it'd just be another deduction from the already small savings he has for their wedding." She suddenly sighed, seeming exhausted. "After this case is over, I'm going to give whatever I get paid to him. He deserves it more than I do."

Miles was momentarily lost for words. "That's… generous of you." He was silent for a few moments as she rested against his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I should probably remind you that they're not engaged, however."

"Yeah, but they will be, he's gonna propose soon. Ah, I probably shouldn't have said that. Don't tell Gummy I told you."

How was she like that? Despite everything that had happened, Kay was smiling, genuinely happy. Acting like the nine year old he'd once seen her as, eager to have a swiss roll. It was as if the last day hadn't happened at all.

But it had. She knew it had, the bandage that was wrapped tightly around her ankle was proof enough, as well as the cotton buds on her arm from the blood tests. Perhaps knowing the results was just such a large relief that it cancelled out all else.

Gumshoe rounded the corner, treat in hand. "Got it, pal!" he said, beaming. After receiving no response, Miles looked down. Kay had her eyes shut, breathing in a steady manner. In the small amount of time, she'd fallen asleep.

"I'm afraid the swiss roll will have to wait, Detective. It looks like our thief has succumbed to well needed rest."

"I'm awake," a groggy voice protested a few seconds later. "I can definitely eat a swiss roll. Go halves, Gummy?"

"Only if you want to, pal."

* * *

><p>Despite the fatigue that the day had brought upon her, Edgeworth noticed that Kay was having trouble sleeping. It was already dark by the time they arrived back at the apartment, and despite knowing that there was a trial that needed preparing, she'd immediately retreated to sleep. He couldn't fault her on it. After organising the files and evidence, he too felt the need for rest.<p>

She wasn't alright, he could tell. Despite the thick duvet covering her, and the heaters turned up almost too high, Kay was shivering. He quickly rose, feet stepping onto the soft carpet while reaching for the cupboard. Taking down an extra two blankets, he carefully placed them over her, hoping they would shield her from some of the cold.

He didn't think it would be possible to feel as melancholy as he did, given the situation. Somehow, they'd all escaped alive. The only injury sustained was a blow to the ankle, and a cold on Kay's behalf. It could have easily been much worse. Furthermore, they had the evidence they needed, the documents proving who Turner Carter truly was, and why he would have a grudge against Charles Dawson.

Everything else was easy enough to put together. The only thing that troubled Miles was why Bruto hadn't escaped when Viola had.

The thought struck at him. The case wasn't solved yet; he needed to work out the full truth before tomorrow. Casting one last glance at Kay, noting that she looked more peaceful, he walked silently into the living room, where the case notes lay atop the large table. Sitting down, Edgeworth wondered where he should start.

He knew enough about what the Cadaverini mob had been doing with the warehouses. While waiting for Kay to wake up, he knew that there was still research to be done. He'd also obtained enough information from Wright about Viola. So that left just one more option.

His hand gripped Bruto's file, opening it carefully.

Hours passed. Edgeworth usually worked better at night. He often found that his mind was more alert, free from the distractions of the day. But reading through the files, the records of what the man had done, made him feel uneasy. He felt the motivation that was not long ago coursing through him begin to lesser.

Bruto was powerful. Occasionally Miles would come across a number representing the amount of men he had at his disposal, unable to believe the information. It only made matters worse, learning that they were increasing by the year, the deaths doing the same. It seemed that human lives held little meaning to him.

The news was startling. Even with Bruto currently in the detention centre, he had a whole family left. A family which now had control over all the men he usually did. _A family that probably wanted their leader back_.

How had he not seen it earlier?

"Are you alright?"

Edgeworth's head snapped up from the file, eyes darting to the doorway. It was Kay, all her weight on one leg with a blanket draped around her shoulders. She looked tired, but still managed to smile. "Come'on. Thieves need sleep."

"I'm not a thief."

"The rule applies for prosecutors, too," she argued half-heartedly, looking at the files. "And I'm both, which means I need double. You should come back though; I can get up early to look through those. If you fall asleep at the prosecutors' bench tomorrow I won't be the one waking you."

"Won't you, now?" He smiled slightly. "I'm afraid it will be your loss, as I'm the one who knows all the information. Though… I suppose you're correct." He stood, feeling strange. Was she really so blissfully unaware?

Kay frowned, grogginess slowly fading. Her eyes locked on him. "Are you okay?" she asked again. "You seem…" She trailed off, uncertain of the word she was going to use.

He knew he had to say it. He couldn't ignore the facts of the case any longer; push them aside as she was. As cruel as it sounded, she needed the truth to be placed in front of her, where she couldn't avoid it.

"Kay, you need to stop prosecuting this case."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Haaaiiii guys. This is what I end up completing when I'm supposed to be finishing my psychology revision. *sighs* So, I wonder how many readers I have left? (I am genuinely curious about this one – I feel like a bad author, despite updating quite often compared to some people out there) I hope you guys can forgive me; the holidays are soon, so hopefully this story will be finished during then. In the meantime, I'll tackle exams, ja?**

**Adios amigos, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**~Clide**


	10. Danger

The answer was immediate.

The thief crossed her arms stubbornly, frowning. "You know there's no way I'm doing that, right?"

He'd expected the reply. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," Miles informed her calmly. "This isn't an ordinary defendant we're dealing with. It's Bruto Cadaverini; the most powerful mob boss in our city, perhaps even the country. Both you, Ema and Gumshoe were correct; the _Dawson's_ building didn't just collapse on its own. There's no doubt in my mind that it was his doing. If the Cadaverinis are capable of that, then-"

"Then what?" Kay interrupted. "You expect me to let them get away with it?" She sounded angry. "This isn't like you."

"We've been careless this whole time, Kay. They know who you are."

"So I'm supposed to run away from the problem in order to protect myself?" she shot back. "No. There's no way I'm doing that. Bruto Cadaverini is just another man who committed a crime. The Yatagarasu stole that truth, and we'll expose it."

"But do you understand how dangerous doing so _is_?" Miles demanded, still trying to keep as calm as possible. "It's a direct hit to them, and they don't take lightly to being attacked." He rose, the file in his grasp. "Do you know how many people have _died_, trying to bring them in? How many raids have gone unsuccessful? And, going back to what you first said, you wouldn't be only protecting yourself. It isn't only your safety that's in question here."

She tried to ignore the comment, but it got to her. He was right, on all accounts. It didn't smoulder the anger, the disappointment, she felt at the prospect. "So we should just let him get away with it? What does that solve?"

"Kay," Miles murmured, stepping forward. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "I'm not losing you. What happened in the _Dawson's_ building was terrifying; I won't allow anything like it to happen again. It has nothing to do with your own personal strength; it has to do with theirs. I never said that the trial wouldn't be prosecuted, however."

"Huh?" She was caught off-guard.

"If you would allow me to take your place tomorrow at the prosecution's bench, then I will do everything I can in my power to bring justice."

"You'd… prosecute instead of me?"

An uneasy silence surrounded them. Edgeworth studied her, unsure as to whether or not she was considering the proposal. Though he knew her well, Kay was unpredictable. His answer was given as she snorted with laughter, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Any other time your plan would be flawless, but there's something you've overlooked," she pointed out. "As you said before, we've been careless. They already know who _we_ are, so changing prosecutors last minute won't do anything. If these Cadaverinis are as powerful as you claim, then they're going to get rid of everybody who was involved in the investigation." She quickly realised that it also included Gumshoe and Ema; not a pleasant thing to note. "The prosecutor isn't the only one in trouble here. Backing out now is just cowardly. And I'm not a coward; my father wouldn't have run."

"May I point out that it would have been physically impossible for your father to be carrying a child?" Miles said. "As I mentioned, it's not only your safety involved here."

"And as _I_ said, they already know who we are."

He sighed, eyelids closing. "You're not making this any easier."

Kay laughed again. "You expected me to agree with you quietly? That won't be happening." After he went quiet, she sighed. "Look. I'm sorry, but I'm not giving this up. I know that you have the right intentions, but I'm not a maiden in distress, who needs to be helped out of every bad situation. You should know that. After everything that's happened, I'm not letting this go."

He was frozen for a few moments, considering her words. Eventually, to her relief, he nodded. "Very well then. I believe the Chief of Police would still be available at this hour." He quickly picked up his phone from the table, dialling a number.

Kay frowned. "Huh?"

"If you're going to prosecute tomorrow, and succeed, then the Cadaverinis will be planning something," he stated. "Also, without the guidance of Bruto, they'll be somewhat lost. From what we know, they don't work as usual organisations do; they have one leader, and that's all. They'll be at the weakest we've known yet, so it would be the ideal time to make some arrests." He looked at her. "This won't go to waste. If you're going to do this, then it can't be in vain. We're putting an end to them." He paused for a moment, grey eyes surveying her. "One condition, however."

It had almost been too go to be true. She should have expected a catch. "It depends on the condition."

"Witness protection." Before she could say a word, he elaborated. "The arrests could take any length of time, and they'll be beyond furious. There's no telling what could happen, and I'm not letting them touch you. Something will be arranged for after the trial tomorrow, until we can be sure the situation has blown over."

The words dug deep into her, making her feel uneasy. Had she really been underestimating what they were up against this whole time, blindly following on? She tried to ignore it, standing up a littler straighter. "Only for me?"

"If she so wishes, then Ema may join you. She's been involved quite a bit too. I know Gumshoe won't even consider it."

"But… she gets the choice, right?"

"You also have a choice. It just depends on how much you wish to prosecute." The statement was simple.

Kay turned her head to the side, frowning. "Fine. I'll do it."

* * *

><p>Blanket wrapped around her tightly, Kay flicked through the photos she had taken of the crime scene the first day of investigating. Given that there was no longer a crime scene standing, she was thankful that she'd done so, even though the initial purpose was to just make herself feel useful.<p>

She took a sip of the hot chocolate, hoping it would wake her up a little more. She had only just risen, thankful that the trial was at midday. It gave her more than enough time to revise everything.

Her hands fumbled through the photos, frowning. In the end, would they be any use? She hoped so. Eventually she came across one that left her momentarily confused. It showed the bottom of a metal bench, where glass shards were covering the ground. "Huh…" she murmured. She remembered finding them the first day, but Ema had told her they'd been there a while. They probably meant nothing. Regardless, she kept the photo.

She looked through the notes she had. Everything was sorted, she hoped. The only thing she was uneasy about was what Kristoph would do to counter her arguments. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Hey, pal," somebody greeted.

The thief jumped slightly, spinning around. "Hey Gummy. I didn't see you come in, sorry."

He smiled, but it wasn't quite convincing. "It's fine. I hope you're feeling alright, pal. Anyway… do you know where Mr Edgeworth is?"

"He left early. He had some stuff to sort out."

"You… do know what's happening today, don't you?" Gumshoe questioned. He sighed after she nodded. "It's times like these we need your uncle here. He would've been the right man for this job for sure."

"I know. Uncle Badd always seemed to beat any danger he was put in." She made herself smile. "But it doesn't matter right now. All we have to do is work on winning today." Sighing, she handed him the photo. "Your thoughts?"

"On what? It's just a bunch of broken glass, isn't it pal?" Gumshoe asked. He took the photo from her, studying it. "It looks like they were being hidden for some reason. I don't understand it… wait a sec."

"Yes?" Kay asked eagerly. "What is it?"

"That piece of glass there, pal," Gumshoe told her, pointing. "It… sorta looks like it has something written on it."

"Huh? Oh, you're right. Hold on… so does that piece."

"And that one there! It doesn't look like they were handwritten, though."

"If only I'd noticed earlier," Kay complained. "I might have been able to put the fragments back together. Then again, this probably doesn't even mean anything. Ema reckoned that they'd been there for a few days, judging by the dust."

"And even if they did mean something, broken glass is dangerous, pal! I wouldn't let you do it!"

"Between you and Miles I won't be allowed to do anything," Kay laughed. "And don't worry, after today I'll be safe and sound in witness protection. Lucky me."

Gumshoe suddenly looked saddened. "If I was in his position, I would be doing the same for Maggey." His shoulders slumped forward. "I already thought about it, but I know there's no ground to stand on for the claim. She wasn't involved in the case at any time; it's only me who's linking her. She's been sick lately, too… talk about bad timing." He looked upset by it. "I hope this mess gets sorted soon, pal, it'd be best for everyone."

"Have some faith in yourself, detective."

Both spun around, seeing Miles Edgeworth at the doorway. He looked tired, but accomplished, like the night's labour had been worth it.

"We haven't come this far to let fear distract us from our goal," he continued. "Today, we're going to go in and prosecute this case to the best of our abilities; we will not let the chance for regret come to us later. We've risked far too much to let this slip through." He turned to Gumshoe specifically. "I apologize about Miss Bryde's situation. But you mustn't let it divert you. The quicker this is sorted, the less likely she is to be put in any sort of danger. That I can promise."

"A-Alright, sir!" Gumshoe announced, saluting. "I'll do everything I can!"

"Ema has been put in charge of all security measures being taken. We can trust her to keep an eye out for anything that may go wrong. Gumshoe, since you weren't properly assigned to the case, you're not needed in the courtroom. The Chief of Police asks that you assist Detective Skye, unless directed otherwise."

"Yes, sir!"

"Aside from this, every other arrangement will go the same from yesterday. The important thing is to stay focused on our goal; that's all that matters."

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna do it. Edgey, man, I'm going to do it."<p>

"Would I like to know what you're referring to?" Miles replied, still arranging the notes. "If it's not worth my time then I'd appreciate it if you'd keep it to yourself. I'm working."

"I'm gonna plead guilty. Yeah, let 'em give me the death sentence!" Larry announced loudly, punching the air. "It doesn't matter now that my dear, sweet Viola… she played me! My life is _over_!"

"I doubt your life is over. In not long at all you'll find another girl to give your heart over to foolishly, I'm certain of it." Edgeworth replied, unfazed. "Pleading guilty won't allow you to find her, will it?"

"But Edgey, man, you don't understand!" Larry complained. "Viola was my one and only! My light! My sweetie-pie! I can't let her go to jail! She… she won't survive! My baby's too precious!"

Kay doubted that. Viola would probably just offer the prisoners cookies; she'd be the most feared on there. "Don't you even _consider_ pleading guilty!" she ordered, hitting him over the head with her file. "I have not climbed shelves, jumped from a building and been in hospital for you to go and do that!"

"Kay brings up an excellent point, Larry," Edgeworth said. He examined his friend, expression hard. "I won't allow the efforts of this case to go wasted, just because you were acting like an idiot again. Allow me to explain the situation; it's either you go to jail, or Viola and Turner Carter do. We know you're innocent, so despite your… _feelings_ for Viola, we are going to expose what happened on the night of the murder. The moment I see you try to cause a disruption in what we're arguing…"

"Okay, okay!" Larry said hastily. "Enough with the scaring, Edgey! I'll… I'll be quiet then." He looked downcast. "Viola… she never really liked me, did she? She was just using me."

Thankfully, they didn't have any time to reply.

"Excuse me, but the trial will be proceeding in a few moments," a bailiff informed them. "If you will please make your way into the courtroom now?"

Kay frowned as he disappeared. "Wasn't Mike Meekins supposed to be on guard? He has been every other day so far."

"Yes. It's rare they change the bailiffs for a trial, despite the length; the same ones are assigned in order to create more reliable witnesses if need be, and because they are more familiar with the case at hand." Edgeworth silently closed the file he'd been examining, handing it to her. He leant forward, voice lowering. "I don't recall seeing that man any other day of the trial. More importantly, in the courtroom at all before."

Kay nodded slowly, understanding that he was saying. "Should I… contact Ema or something?"

To her surprise, he shook his head. "No. That would be inane, I'm certain she'd already be aware of this. The best thing to do right now would be to act as if we didn't know about it. For all we know, it could be the extra security purposely assigned for today. Whatever it may be, Ema would already understand the situation."

"I hope you're right," the thief mumbled as they entered the courtroom. She noticed that the same bailiff, if he was indeed one, was waiting inside. It gave her an uneasy feeling. How outnumbered were they? How many other Cadaverinis could have already bypassed the security?

She tried to ignore the feeling that was spreading through her rapidly, clinging to her uncontrollably. Trusting Ema and Gumshoe was the only thing she could do; they knew what they were doing.

She hoped, at least.

* * *

><p>"Court in now in session for the trial of Turner Carter."<p>

"The defense is ready, your honour."

"The prosecution is ready, your honour."

It almost seemed like insanity how normally the trial was proceeding.

Apart from the lack of an audience - an obvious attempt to prevent knowledge of the Cadaverinis being released to the public - everything had seemed to run like any other process. Miles had to wonder how long it would last that way; the possibility of everything going to their plans was slim at best. There was bound to be something that would disrupt them thoroughly, to make things that much harder to achieve.

If the Cadaverinis didn't make an attempt to stop the trial, then the defense attorney opposite them would. It would be foolish to believe that Kristoph Gavin didn't have an attack method planned out to tear every structure the prosecution would attempt to build as an argument slyly. He could cast doubt on every piece of evidence; manipulate all testimonies to point the finger at another party.

The other party would undoubtedly be Larry. Kristoph would know better than to try and pin the blame on Viola Cadaverini; the only granddaughter of the most powerful mob boss in the city. It was his only option.

"This is the last day of the trial. I believe yesterday suspended with a rather… unusual turn of events?" the judge confirmed. His head turned slightly to face where a new suspect sat next Bruto and Larry; Viola. "It was discovered that the witness is in fact… a Cadaverini, and could potentially be involved in the murder." He seemed uneasy with the word, shuffling anxiously in his seat. Still, he pressed on. "It does bring up the question of why such a person would be related to this crime. Another troubling event also occurred yesterday afternoon."

"I trust you are referring to the _Dawson's _building collapse?" Kristoph asked pleasantly. "After looking in to it, the defense and the police believe that it was in no way related to this case."

"_Objection!_ You have got to be kidding me!" Kay protested, mouth hanging open. "You cannot honestly believe that it was a coincidence; the owner of the department store was killed in the said store, and a few days later it gets destroyed. Buildings don't just collapse!"

Kristoph smiled from the other side of the room. "The defense's stance hasn't changed. The _Dawson's_ building collapsing is not related to the case at hand. I ask that you please calm down."

"I understand how you may find the situation troubling, Prosecutor Faraday," the judge put in. "I did receive a report that you were in the building during the chaos. As unfortunate as it was for you, I do have to request that you don't allow your experience to cloud your judgement of this case."

"Yes, your honour," she responded, knuckles clenching under the bench. How could they be so blind was beyond her. "The prosecution believes we have all the answers you're looking, starting with the identities of those involved in the case."

"We are already aware of who the witness is," the judge reminded her, again seeming uneasy about the topic. "Is there anything else to speak about on the matter?"

"Yes. After all, there is another person who hasn't been honest about their true identity," Kay informed him, almost feeling satisfied. Her eyes darted to Kristoph, who seemed too relaxed, given he knew what she was about to do. She didn't allow herself to dwell on it. "I am referring to the defendant."

"Turner Carter? I'm not sure I understand."

"These files explain everything," Kay informed him, lifting the ones with both Bruto's name and the Cadaverini general information. "Our defendant isn't who he seems to be; there's far more to him than we realized. I now present to you the undeniable proof that 'Turner Carter' is only an alias. The man behind the mask is the leader of the Cadaverini mob… Bruto Cadaverini!"

"What!" the judge gasped, instantly looking back and forth from the defendant to the prosecutor. "But… you've got to be joking, Prosecutor Faraday!" He looked as though he wanted to disappear into nothingness; anything was better than this nightmare. "Mr Gavin! Do you…?"

At the other side of the room, Kristoph sighed, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. "You've looked at those files completely haven't you, Prosecutor Faraday? Even through, say… the victims list?"

"_Objection!_"

That hadn't come from her. Kay turned her head, facing Edgeworth. He was looking across the room, palm slamming on to the desk forcefully. She felt it strain slightly. His eyes were locked on the other lawyer. "Don't, Gavin."

"What's going on?" Kay whispered. "What is he talking about?"

"You're saying that you haven't done your research? I'm sorry that the court has to witness this sad excuse for a lie," Kristoph pressed on, something new about his aura. "I believe that the prosecution is accusing the witness purely because they believe he is the head of the Cadaverini mob, rather than being guilty for this crime!"

"I'm here to work out the truth of this case, and nothing else!" Kay shot back.

The room was silent.

Kristoph looked at them expectantly. "I admire your façade. However, don't you think it's time to give up your little game?"

The prosecutor was at loss for words. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, nothing at all making sense to her. What Kristoph was saying made her mind throb painfully; what didn't she know? She looked over at Miles, almost hoping to find him as out of it as she was. She was further lost when he looked down, sighing.

"She doesn't know, Mr Gavin. The fact that you're even bringing it up shows-"

"Shows what, exactly?" Kristoph enquired. "You don't have any proof that Prosecutor Faraday was unaware of the true circumstances surrounding her father's death."

"Wh-What?" Kay replied, voice shaking. She suddenly felt cold, her mind swimming.

"The prosecution has let their feelings cloud their judgement and take over their reason for winning this case," the defense attorney announced loudly. "She's grasping at the straws that her theory about Turner Carter is true; that he is Bruto Cadaverini. Miss Faraday doesn't want the defendant behind bars because he's guilty of this crime; she wants him to go because she believes he played a part in the murder of her father."

She didn't quite know what happened next. Part of her was aware of her hands reaching out to fumble for the Cadaverini file, eventually stopping shaking enough to get to the right page. Her eyes frantically scanned it, through countless names she'd never see again. However, one leapt out, sending a gnawing feeling through her whole body. He hands trembled, and she took in a shaky breath.

Just then, she felt her world begin to collapse around her as the new and undeniable fact hit her hard.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Exams left my brain completely and utterly fried, I'm afraid to say. They also made me detest doing anything but nothing for a decent week and a half afterwards. So I don't even know when I last updated this, or if an apology is necessary yet xD But seriously, all motivation for this was just... gone. Honestly, I'm glad it's back, and hope it's back to stay.  
><strong>

**I am now on holidays though, so that means free time :D Which means writing, if you didn't make the connection. I'll aim to finish this!**

**~Clide**


	11. Strategy

_Byrne Faraday._

The name was on the paper, almost being drowned in countless others. More victims who had been murdered by the Cadaverini mob; more lives that had been stolen relentlessly. Regardless, her eyes were glued to only one name, and it no longer felt as though she was in the room, but somewhere else. Stuck between reality and fantasy, her mind spun in all directions. Her body felt numb, though she was aware of a ringing in her ears.

"If the court will allow to me explain," Kristoph requested, shattering her thoughts and bringing her back to the courtroom roughly, "the infamous Cohdopian Smuggling Ring was disbanded six years ago, which the prosecution had a hand in assisting. Ambassador Quercus Alba was arrested, and a trial was conducted in this country to punish him for his crimes of both murder and smuggling."

"We're aware of the details," Edgeworth said coldly. He risked a glance at the one next to him. Kay remained frozen and silent, save for her lips moving slightly. Unease drifted through him, though he knew for the time being, there was nothing he could do. "I'm sure our esteemed Judge is, too. We were in charge of conducting the trial, which was big at the time."

"I am able to recall the details well enough," the judge added.

The defense attorney nodded. "I'll spare the base facts then. One aspect of the ring that hadn't been brought forth at all in the trial was the Cadaverini involvement; I don't think it anybody realised that it existed, until now."

"Please continue, Mr Gavin," the judge requested, leaning forward slightly.

"Ambassador Alba knew the risks of running such a dangerous operation. As such, he did everything he could to ensure that any evidence of it was destroyed. Being in his position of power, he knew the stakes were high, had he been caught. It may seem obvious, but it caused severe limitations; the worst being he couldn't use men from his own country in the creation of the smuggling ring, in fear of information leaks."

"I believe I'm beginning to see a link here…" the judge murmured, closing his eyes. "You're proposing that…?"

Kristoph sighed, tapping the files in front of his with his nails. "Not proposing; these are only facts. It's all in this file, though there's no extensive information on it. It's clear the Ambassador did his research; he discovered the Cadaverinis, and took it upon himself to arrange a meeting with the leader. I believe they agreed on terms; Bruto Cadaverini would send a portion of the men at his disposal to begin the ring, for a cash price." He looked up sharply at the few occupants in the room. "So you see, now. The prosecution was aware of this, and at the mild possibility that the Cadaverinis were involved, decided to strike. Prosecutor Faraday's father was killed by a member of the smuggling ring… such trauma so young can never have a positive outcome. Though it pained me to bring up the delicate issue, it needed to be addressed; it is the prosecution's only motivation to continue such an argument."

The room became still.

Next to him, Miles felt Kay tremble slightly. Glancing at her, he realised she was murmuring something over and over, the shaking becoming more violent.

"_Stop_."

Not for the first time in his life, Edgeworth had no idea of the path of action he should take. He felt powerless, unable to do anything.

"If this is the case, then I feel that Prosecutor Faraday is… unsuitable to continue working on this trial," the judge stated eventually, casting a glance at her. "She doesn't appear to be in the right state of mind, and if her motive isn't truly to discover the truth, then-"

"No."

The voice was quiet, scarcely above a whisper. But everybody heard it.

Slowly, she looked up, taking in a few deep breaths. Upon a first glance, she appeared emotionless. Miles knew better. "Your honour, I-I was unaware of any connections this case may or may n-not have to my father's death," Kay said, trying to control the shaking in her voice. Standing up a little straighter, she tried again. "I-If you will permit a brief recess… I can continue this case. I aim o-only to find the true culprit."

"A recess? Though the trial has just begun?" the judge clarified, uncertainty in his tone.

"All things considered, your honour, I hardly find ten minutes an unreasonable request," Edgeworth commented, a hidden force behind his words.

"Err… yes, you're right," he muttered, appearing to understand. "The court will now break for a ten minute recess."

The sound of the hammer ringing throughout the room was heard, and within a minute all had left the room, save for two people.

* * *

><p>"Everything's been a lie." She was leaning on the bench mostly for support; she no longer knew if she could stand on her own. Her arms strained at the awkward angle they'd been put on, but she could barely tell. "<em>Everything.<em> I thought it was over when Shih-Na and Alba been caught… and it turns out… it wasn't only them." Her head snapped up, eyes narrowing at the one next to her. "You knew."

"I discovered it only last night," Edgeworth replied honestly. "The information was lacking, however. The Cadaverini file only mentioned slight dealings with the Cohdopian Smuggling Ring; I never realised the extent of it, until Kristoph brought it up. His intent was clear; it seems he was aware of your connection, and dug deeper for information."

She couldn't be angry with him; it was impossible. "Dad…" Kay muttered. "It wasn't just Shih-Na… Calisto… whoever, that killed him!" The shaking begun again, and she tried to compose herself. She couldn't.

Every single memory of the incident continued to flash through her mind. Everything she'd learned to supress over the years was unleashed, because she knew she had been wrong. All this time, her unknown coping method was to tell herself that it was all over; that justice was served, and that nothing more could be done. It had kept the unpleasant thoughts away.

The news that it wasn't over had unlocked the trauma.

She found herself almost clinging to him as he embraced her. "Would you have told me?" she asked after a moment of silence.

He didn't have to consider the question. Ever since he'd discovered a connection the night before, he'd mulled over it, and still hadn't come to a conclusion. "I don't know. As important as the truth is… telling you this wouldn't have accomplished anything. At the same time, hiding it goes against every moral I have. Even though the truth for DL-6 was painful when I discovered it, it was better than the nightmare of me killing my own father. But in this instance… there was no benefit of you knowing."

"I can understand it." Kay breathed in, letting go slightly. "Sorry. I shouldn't be…"

"You have every right to be feeling the way you are," he told her. "But you need to listen carefully; whether or not she was actually a Cadaverini is unknown. I doubt even Bruto would be able to confirm it. It's likely that Alba used more people from other nations to keep the ring running as the operation expanded."

"But without the Cadaverinis, it wouldn't have been possible, right?" Kay asked, bitterness in her voice. "They were the ones who started it with him."

"You can't think like that, Kay," Edgeworth told her sternly. He let go of her slightly, so he could look at her directly. "It will be playing straight into Kristoph's hands. He revealed the information for two reasons. The first was to cast doubt on your motives for the trial, which has already been successful. The second was for your reaction."

"My… reaction?" Kay murmured. "What do you…?"

"The way I see it, he expected you to respond in either two ways, the most probable being aggression. Fuelled with the new information, you came back into the courtroom and focused on the Cadaverini side of the case violently, ignoring the fact that this proved his point completely. Your judgement would be clouded, and you'd be vulnerable. The second is complete and utter shock; the news hitting you so hard that you couldn't find the strength to continue with your argument, but at the same time couldn't leave the case. It would make an easy win for him. Even if you chose to give up, _both_ of us would be forced to leave, and a prosecutor that would be unwilling to handle such a dangerous case would be forced into doing so… and they'd lose purposely."

She couldn't respond.

Was it possible for a man to go that far to win? Did Kristoph ever have any faith in his clients?

"Don't let him win this way," Miles told her. "Don't let this break you. We're going to have to rethink your strategy, however, if you still wish to go through with this."

"Huh?" Kay muttered, looking up at him. "Of course I'll continue." She now stood on her own. "This… is hardly nice news. But I know that if I succumb to feeling bad about it, he wins. What do you mean about a new strategy?"

The man sighed, gesturing to Bruto Cadaverini's file. "The best course of action when court reconvenes would be to establish that the defendant _is_ who you claim. But afterwards, you can't focus on him, at least not for a while. It will ruin Gavin's point." He closed his eyes for a moment. "That will be tricky; this case practically revolves around the Cadaverinis now. I would make sure to avoid mentioning Bruto personally, and the _Dawson's _building collapse; however talking about Viola's involvement should be alright. Trying your best to remove any suspicion from Larry is important as well. As for Kristoph's strategy, that's already clear… you just have to trap him into making his own argument seem void."

"Doubt. He's going to influence the judge into believing that our argument is circumstantial, right?" Kay asked. "Do you think we have enough evidence?"

"If Kristoph is using this path, then perhaps not," Edgeworth murmured. "But it's not too late. You know what to do, correct? There's still one more place that has had no investigations that's under the Cadaverinis control, yet easy enough to get in to. It might hold something, especially since Viola resides there most her days."

Kay's hand dove into her pocket, grasping her phone quickly. "I think I know what you mean." Carefully, she dialled the familiar number, lifting it to her ear.

"Pal? Are you alright?" was the near immediate greeting.

"We're okay Gummy. But we need you to do something for us."

* * *

><p>"Court will now reconvene for the trial of…" the Judge hesitated, glancing around the room uncertainly, "…well, Turner Carter currently. Unless the prosecution is able to prove their claim about his true identity, it will remain that way."<p>

"We believe it is possible, your honour," Kay replied, glad to find that her voice was strong. She resisted the urge to throw a smug look at the other side of the room at her opponent. "If you will examine the file of Bruto Cadaverini, it's simple enough."

"Which part of the file are you most interested in viewing?" he questioned, motioning for a bailiff to collect the item in question.

"The medical records have everything we need," she replied. "I understand that the photo of Bruto Cadaverini in the file is out-dated by quite some years, as he hasn't been seen. Therefore, I won't rely on the strong resemblance as evidence. As you're reading now, Bruto Cadaverini has fallen victim to bullet wounds on multiple occasions."

"Such wounds don't heal easily," Miles added. "It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that some sort of scar has been left behind."

"We request that the court give permission for the defendant to be searched on his left elbow, right knee and lower abdomen," Kay began confidentially, "to see whether or not this man is actually Bruto Cadaverini. The real Bruto Cadaverini has sustained injuries in all three places."

"Granted," the judge announced. "Bailiff, if you please."

The room was silent as the one man moved over to where the three suspects were being kept. Slowly, he rolled up one of Bruto's sleeves. The tension was thickening rapidly by the very second.

"Well?" the judge demanded after a few seconds of silence. "Is there a wound?"

The man didn't reply right away, only stepping out of the way so everybody could see Bruto. Faintly, there was a small, purple circular marking at the tip of his bent elbow. Kay's heart leaped. "There is, your honour."

"Check his right knee and abdomen immediately!"

"There's no need for that." The new voice rang out in the room, full of venom yet rough, worn out from the years. The defendant's head snapped up angrily. "I am Bruto Cadaverini. Now get your dirty hands off of me."

The bailiff immediately withdrew.

"That's a change in attitude," Kay commented, louder than she should have. As eyes turned to look at her, she raised her hands slightly. "It was just an observation," she added.

"Probably not the right time to say such a thing," Miles murmured. "Though, you're right. We're seeing his true colours now. Up until this point, he hasn't been noticeable. Now, anger seems to come off him in powerful waves."

"So… this really is…" the judge asked in awe, suddenly seeming nervous.

"The mob boss, Bruto Cadaverini," Edgeworth finished. "As we said."

"But how is this related to the case, I ask you?" Kristoph questioned. His body shifted slightly so he was facing the judge. "You would think that this proves my point about the prosecution's motivation."

Kay laughed briefly, unable to help yourself. "So, the true identity of you client doesn't matter to the case usually? At any rate, the prosecution would like to recap on the events that transpired that night, with what we believe and what the court sees as facts.

"As he always did, Charles Dawson was staying behind in the café he specialised in after hours. We suspect that this was the time when he worked out which goods his department store was in need of for his next round of thievery. Evidence of this," she held up the file, "are some records he kept, discovered in a safe at the scene of the crime. However, the murderer came in at approximately 7:30, and killed him with a knife that was later recovered at the scene. There was no sign of a struggle. Fingerprints of Larry Butz were found on it. We know for a fact that a key is needed to get inside the café after hours, as even when Mr Dawson was inside he had the door locked."

"Then, you won't mind me commenting that Mr Butz surely looks like the most possible suspect," Kristoph informed them.

"No. He's not," Kay said. "Because Larry's fingerprints were only on the weapon because he works at the café, and the knife wasn't properly washed. Viola Cadaverini, also an employee, was responsible for doing this. It seems absurd to think that she washed the blade while keeping the handle untouched, preserving the fingerprints, by accident."

"Of course it's absurd. Completely and utterly. Which is why the knife was the murder weapon that Mr Butz himself used," Kristoph replied simply.

"That defies all logic," Kay replied calmly. "After the knife was used, it was put back into the draw, only being wiped. Why was it not disposed of, or at least washed properly?"

"I can't imagine anybody being in their right mind after committing a murder, Prosecutor Faraday," the defense attorney commented.

"Yet the true culprit was. Enough to frame Mr Butz for the murder in the first place. Wouldn't that suggest the murderer was experienced? Or at least had it planned out?"

"_Objection!_ Your claims are getting wilder by the second, Prosecutor Faraday!" Kristoph announced. "Do you believe that you can get away with them, even though a much more probable answer is right in front of our eyes? They're far too unlikely to even be considered."

Kay shook her head. "They're not. After all, wasn't it Viola who called Larry to the scene that night? She wasn't there, however. By then, the murder had already been completed. She had no reason to linger."

"She was nothing but a witness," Kristoph shot back, his calm demeanour slowly fading.

"However, Bruto Cadaverini needed to get access to the crime scene, didn't he? That would strongly suggest the need for an accomplice," Miles pointed out. "Viola was the obvious choice; she is his granddaughter, after all. Suggesting that she was one who actually murdered Charles Dawson is inane."

"Why is that so?" the judge asked. "If you're claiming both entered the café…"

"The defendant was there for a reason, correct?" Edgeworth explained. "Surely it's obvious. Had Viola killed Charles Dawson, he wouldn't have needed to be present. She was just used as the key to get in and out of the café. Somebody of Bruto's experience wouldn't have needed help in regards to actually committing the murder."

"Yet you haven't presented a shred of evidence!" Kristoph reminded them. He seemed calmer now, knowing the approach he would take. Softly, he laughed. "Surely the court isn't being fooled. This is all circumstantial, to the limit. Very easily, it could have been Mr Butz who committed the murder. This roundabout way of pinning the crime on somebody else is unlike anything I've seen before. Bruto Cadaverini doesn't even have a motive."

She could almost hear the sound of the trap snapping shut physically. Satisfaction coursed through her, and a smile made its way to her lips.

"Funny you should mention it; he does. A rather big one, much more serious than simply wanting a pay rise, which was the motive you're suggesting for Mr Butz." Carefully, Kay slid the records to the judge. "Charles Dawson kept a close record of who he stole from, and it seems he had a favourite. Six years ago, a certain mob began blackmailing warehouse owners into giving up masses of items." She again passed a file to the judge. "As you can guess, the Cadaverinis were that mob. The victim stole the majority of the items in his department store from them… and I find it difficult to believe that they would have been happy about that. After all… you seem to dislike business men like the victim, right Mr Cadaverini?"

"This… this motive would certainly suffice," the judge muttered, scanning through the files quickly. He seemed reluctant to admit it, as though he was intimated by the oldest suspect. He had every right to be. "As you said, it's much more serious than the other suspects', and overall, makes a lot more sense."

"Well, Mr Cadaverini, I'm afraid this really is your only chance to turn this case around, and explain why you were really there that night," Kristoph announced, before anybody else could say a word. "As your attorney, I'm telling you that it is your only option. Otherwise… you may find yourself in some trouble."

"What's he up to…" Miles muttered, frowning. "This seems far too convenient to be something planned on the spot."

"That's right," Bruto announced roughly after a pause. "I was there. But I didn't see Viola, not once. I've no idea why she was there. She didn't let me into the café; Charles did."

"What…" Kay hissed. "What is he playing at!"

"Well… perhaps you wish to testify, then?" the judge asked. "It's necessary to hear what you have to say."

"If I must," Bruto replied dryly, as though it was all becoming boring for him. He was lead up to the stand by the bailiff, beginning immediately. "You see… I've been trying to get out of my little business for quite for time now. Unfortunately, there's not much else I'm good at… aside from fixing things."

"Fixing things…" Kay repeated, not understanding where anything was leading.

"I know Charles," the mob boss informed them. "We worked together on the scheme of the warehouse; I took a share of his profits when he sold the goods in my possession. He had a stupid habit of not throwing away something if it could be fixed. One of his careless employees damaged a blender, and he called on me to repair it. That's why I was there that night." He was now looking more uninterested than before. "I never saw Viola, but I did see Butz commit the murder. Charles pushed me into a closet as he saw Butz approaching, fearing he was dangerous, so I was never spotted. I did damage to my fragile knee with the fall though, and I was unable to walk out of the scene. It's why I was there, when the body was discovered."

If there was anybody else in the courtroom but the seven of them, it would have erupted into chaos. Because of the small number, it wasn't possible. Larry rose however, almost immediately being detained. "That's a lie! I didn't do _anything_ like that!" he yelled, thrashing. "You're a liar!"

Usually, Kay thought, Miles would be the one to tell Larry to stop acting like an idiot. However, his arm hit the desk in front of him in anger. "If this is the truth, then why did you not report this in the first place!" Miles demanded. "There is also no evidence that the blender even _exists_!"

"I didn't report it because I feared for my life, prosecutor. The man was in a rage when he killed my friend… I didn't want the same fate for myself," Bruto replied simply.

"I find it difficult to believe that you were intimidated. You have more than enough protection."

"But didn't I just tell you I wanted to get out of the mob? Use your ears, boy!" Bruto snapped in reply.

"As for your other comment… it _was_ mentioned," Kristoph added. "Don't you remember Mr Butz's testimony, from the first day of the trial?" After shuffling through some papers, he found what he was looking for. "I quote from the suspect, Mr Butz; _'To be honest, the boss was sort of harsh. Yelled a lot, especially when I broke one of the blenders the other day. I offered to try and fix it, but he wouldn't let me. He said I'd make things worse._'"

"No way…" Kay murmured, disbelief still clouding her. She looked up at Miles, who seemed just as surprised as she felt, and just a bit more livid. When she looked at Kristoph, she found his head turned to the side, and his hand pushing up his glasses. She couldn't make out his expression.

Finally, her eyes landed on Bruto. For a moment, he stared back at her, his lips shifting upwards in a twisted smirk, continuing to move as they formed one word silently.

_Checkmate._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Far out. I am so tired. After freaking out that I'd lost a large portion of editing done on this chapter, it turns out my laptop was just having a joke with me. Haha, so funny. No, I'm kidding. That wasn't funny at all, laptop :| **

**What can I say? I'm a sucker for plot twists and cliffhangers :) Bruto Cadaverini's a shady guy, right?  
><strong>

**I do apologize for the typos; I've tried to get as many out as I could, but in my tired state I probably failed. I'll fix them soon. Maybe. But dude, this chapter is _long_. My longest yet for any story, I believe. (Bad author is bad for not proofreading well enough)  
><strong>

**~Clide**


	12. Impossible

It took a while for the shock to sink into Kay. In the end, she was never sure that it did.

After the initial astonishment that had come after his testimony, she found herself surprisingly calm given the situation. As she watched Bruto for a little longer after he'd soundlessly announced his victory, she noticed him turn away, as though she was no longer of importance.

Yet she felt nothing. She expected panic to hit her like a tonne of bricks, weighing her down immensely, yet not a pang of fear at the new development was felt, nor dread of what she would have to do next. Casting a glance at Miles, she realised he was looking considerably shocked at the twist the trial had taken.

"We don't have any evidence…" he murmured, low enough that only she could hear it. "Kay, we've got nothing to fight a claim like this. _Nothing_." His tone was laced with disbelief, as well as resentment. A moment later, he sighed, muscles relaxing. "We're just going to have to do what Kristoph has been doing, cast doubt on it and try to…"

The sound of his voice seemed to fade, and Kay blinked a few times. What was wrong with her? Why was she not in panic from this? And suddenly, it clicked.

It was because she had no reason to be. She already had the answers.

"No," she said quietly, unable to believe it herself. She received his questioning gaze, and stopped herself from smiling. For once, she knew what was going on; she wasn't relying on him. "No, I have something." She immediately turned to the defendant, hands slapping against the desk. "Mr Cadaverini! Tell me, when you say you're good at fixing things, you mean you're experienced with machinery, right?"

"You hardly get away with being a mob boss without that skill," he replied dully. "Your men expect you to have the skills you demand they possess."

"So did you end up fixing the blender?" she enquired. "That night, before the murder?"

Bruto sighed, taking her sudden load of questions as desperation. "Of course I did, it didn't take long," he replied simply. "Only an idiot wouldn't have been able to repair it."

"You're lying." Kay struggled to keep the triumph from her voice. She pointed to him, preparing to uncover the lie that would unwind his entire testimony. "You didn't come to the Dawson's shopping complex that night to fix a blender, Mr Cadaverini; in the end, you _couldn't_ fix it. Nobody could. Suggesting that Mr Dawson asked you is impossible."

"I hope you have evidence this time, Prosecutor Faraday?" Kristoph commented lightly. "The court is getting tired of your bluffs."

"Luckily enough, on the first day of the investigation I took quite a few photos," the thief informed them. She shuffled through her notes, finding what she needed at the bottom of the pile. She held it between he fingers, hidden from sight. "No blender was found at the crime scene, Mr Cadaverini. But something else was; its remains."

"What are you talking about?" the mob boss demanded roughly. "Remains?"

"I'm afraid both you and Mr Gavin were under the same misassumption about the broken blender; that it had stopped working, because of some fault in the machinery. But that wasn't the case." She revealed the photo, and passed it along to the judge, who immediately examined it. "The blender wasn't broken in that sense; it had completely shattered! It was literally smashed into pieces! Glass remains were found at the crime scene, under a bench!"

"But _all_ I'm seeing here is glass fragments, Prosecutor Faraday," the judge informed her quickly, before chaos could ensue. "I'm afraid there's no way to confirm whether or not it was once a blender."

"Please consider it, your honour," Edgeworth requested, finding his voice. "There were no other blenders at the crime scene; Bruto Cadaverini only said he'd fixed it because in the end, the likelihood of there being another working blender was higher than there _not_ being one. Furthermore, if you look closely I believe you'll see the numbers used to measure liquids painted on the glass."

"W-Why, you're right!" the judge announced, peering at the photograph in astonishment. "This completely-"

"_Objection_!" For the first time in the trial, Kay saw Kristoph hit the desk in front of him. He tried to wipe any shocked expression from his features away hastily. "However, Mr Butz was going to try and repair the blender, don't you recall?" His voice was as steady as ever. "He said that in his own testimony; '_I offered to try and fix it, but he wouldn't let me. He said I'd make things worse.'_. If the blender was truly shattered-"

"Well, yeah," Larry's voice picked up, as though it was obvious. He folded his arms, looking over them like they were idiots. "Didn't you guys know that the blender was broken like that from the beginning? I sorta figured, 'a little glue and sticky tape and it'll be right', ya know? The boss didn't let me though. So I put the base of the blender in the trash, and kicked the glass under the bench. It was near the time I had to leave; there was no way I was wasting my time cleaning up!"

The room was the stillest it had been yet. Kay had the hunch that it was more to do with Larry's own stupidity than the exposed lie; people found it hard to fathom that anybody would suggest fixing a shattered blender with sticky tape.

"We rest our case, your honour," Miles announced. "As we have just proven, Bruto Cadaverini was not at the crime scene that night to fix a blender. So the obvious question remains; why did he lie? What was he _really_ doing at the crime scene? Given that he holds a major reason to want to get rid of the victim… I'd say this makes him our most likely suspect. There's no evidence that Mr Butz even entered the café that night."

"This certainly casts much more suspicion on the defendant," the judge agreed. "A faulty alibi and a motive now rests on him."

"However, the prosecution has yet to give us any definitive proof," Kristoph reminded them.

"Neither has the defense, for that matter. After hearing your client's alibi being proven wrong, you can hardly continue claiming what you are," Kay said.

"You have proved nothing," he replied as calmly as the situation allowed. "Nothing but meaningless possibilities."

Nobody had the chance to say anything else. In the brief silence, voices could be heard outside, yelling and thumping as some sort of protest seemed to occur. Everybody froze, straining to listen to whatever was happening. The noise increased rapidly.

Miles and Kay exchanged a quick, uneasy glance, though before any real concern could fall upon them, the doors swung opened roughly.

A familiar figure in his large, worn coat managed to step forward only once before four bailiffs tackled him from behind, sending him straight to the ground. "Sir!" he yelped in a strained voice. "Kay, Mr Edgeworth sir, I've got it!" He was able to talk no more, the only sounds coming from his mouth faint protests as the guards began to drag him out of the room, faster than they thought possible.

"Wh-What on Earth is happening?" the judge demanded, eyes widening at the sight before him. "Isn't that…?"

"SIR!" the detective cried again, almost out of the room by that point.

"I ask that you unhand him," Edgeworth said sharply, glaring at the bailiffs for a moment. He looked back at the judge. "He has all rights to be here your honour, as a detective who had a hand in the investigation. He is no harm."

"Sustained," the judge agreed. "Please unhand him, bailiffs."

Gumshoe shook off the men around him with ease, not bothering to fix up his disorderly appearance as he immediately advanced towards the prosecution's bench. The bailiffs remained where they had entered, displeased at the order.

"I'm sorry, pal," the detective said breathlessly when he reached them. "Did I interrupt…?"

"No, Gummy," Kay replied quickly. She offered a small smile. "You were fine. What did you get?"

Wordlessly, he handed her a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Miles murmured as Kay opened it. Two pairs of eyes scanned the contents quickly, both taking a sharp breath as the message inside was revealed to them.

It was as through there was an invisible thread, slowly wrapping its way around the case and tying every piece together. Little by little, everything was understood completely; and in the middle of it rested one man, who had planned it all.

It was precisely what they'd been looking for.

"If the court gives permission, we wish to read a particular letter, sent from the defendant to Viola Cadaverini two months before the death of the victim," Kay requested. "We see it as definitive proof."

The judge opened his mouth to reply, however a small shriek cut him off.

From where the rest of the suspects sat, Viola had risen. She was shaking slightly, and where her eyes once sat emotionless, there seemed to be a different pair, showing an obvious panic. "No. Do not read that," she ordered them, her voice slightly strained. "I ask you… do not read that. It will not be good."

"Bailiff, please sit the suspect back down," the judge ordered. "Permission sustained, Prosecutor Faraday, however be warned; if this does not yield any new facts…"

"This is the last piece of evidence we need, your honour," she assured him. "Taken from Viola's previous workplace, the Tender Lender, it confirms what we have been trying to prove." Without another word, she began.

"_I hate to get you involved, my dear,_" the young prosecutor read aloud. "_But there's something I need you to do for me, and it can only be you that does it. Attached to this letter, there are a set of instructions. I need you to read through them, memorize them, and then burn them and this letter completely. Make sure this is done well._ _In case things go badly for me, you know what to do. Burn it. Let it crumble to the ground. It will be done two months from today's date, to ensure you have enough time._ _With my dearest love, Bruto Cadaverini_."

"No…" Viola whispered. She sunk back into her seat, unable to meet the gaze of anybody in the room. Her hands shakily reached up to her face. "No…" she repeated once more. "Grandfather…!"

"But what does this mean?" the judge stuttered, staring at Viola in awe.

"It ties up every single loose knot in this case, your honour," Kay announced. "We are now certain that the defendant and our suspect met for an important reason that night; and both were at the _Dawson's_ building. Incidentally, the reason was so… dangerous, that Mr Cadaverini ordered the letter to be burnt! Viola was the only one who could help him because, from a previous case, she was seen as having 'experience' in a restaurant; she was the only one Charles Dawson would hire, though she wouldn't have been if he had known who she really was. And, please think about it – _Burn it. Let it crumble to the ground._ Now, what could that be referring to?"

"The _Dawson's_ building," Kristoph mused. "To get rid of the crime scene, you think she was ordered to destroy it completely?"

The thief nodded. "It was another reason she was ordered to work in the café for two months before the murder, aside from getting the key; she would have had access to the Dawson's building at all times, allowing her to plant the bombs throughout it."

"And that, you honour, is why Viola Cadaverini engaged in a relationship with Larry Butz, a fellow employee of the café. To frame him for the murder," Miles added. "Even with the letter's instructions being destroyed as asked, the letter itself remained untouched, and there's enough information on there to prove everything."

"No!" Viola screeched suddenly, hands shoved against her ears and eyes shut tight, trying to block out scene unfolding in front of her. It was a drastic change from the quiet, eerie girl they'd grown used to. "G-Grandfather, I destroyed it… I destroyed it, they're lying…" Her voice had become weaker.

"Miss Viola's reaction is more than enough proof that she has seen this letter before, and that it indeed came from the defendant," Miles stated.

"You think this is enough to convict me, boy?" a new voice said roughly. Bruto's closed fist pounded the wood in front of him, and he looked up sharply. "You think I can be caught due to one foolish mistake? _Arrested_ because of it?"

"Nobody is above the law, Mr Cadaverini," Edgeworth informed him. His gaze never left the other man, as powerful as he was. "Not even you. And you never will be."

"I think you'll find that the law doesn't matter to me in the slightest," Bruto murmured. His lips folded upwards, and a laugh escaped him, echoing throughout the room.

"Defendant! Why are you laughing?" the judge demanded. "You've just been proven as a murderer!"

"Oh, but wasn't I proven as a murderer long ago?" the boss retorted. "You can hardly be in my position and not get blood on your hands, you blabbering idiot! This is just one more killing under my belt. As I just said; did you truly believe I could be caught?"

"Bailiffs! Please escort Mr Cadaverini out of the courtroom while I deliver the verdict," the judge ordered, the man beginning to unease him.

Seconds passed. Nobody moved.

"Bailiff! Any one of you!" the judge ordered, gravel slamming against the bench. "Did you not hear what I just said? Please escort him from this room!"

Slowly, Bruto's laughter began once more. He threw his head back after his eyes had swept the scene another time, body shaking. "Well, you even had the extra guards fooled! Even without my guidance you did it… the Cadaverini name would certainly have lived on, even if I had of been arrested. I thank you for the interesting show, everybody."

Immediately, all the security surrounding the suspects stepped away, one grabbing Larry roughly by the neck of his coat and dragging him from Bruto and Viola, ignoring his shouts of protest and feeble attempts of fighting back.

They could do nothing. The four bailiffs – or whoever they really were – that had entered only minutes ago seized Gumshoe, Kay and Edgeworth suddenly. They began being dragged away and into a corner of the room, but Gumshoe was the only one who struggled enough to be let free, the man responsible for him crashing to the floor. As he turned around, eager to help somebody else, he was met with an unwelcoming sight.

Bruto's hand was held out expectantly. A second later, a pistol was tossed to him by the one restraining Larry, and he raised it, pointing it directly at the detective, who stopped in his tracks. "Now, that wouldn't be the smartest move," Bruto chided. "Even you have more brains than that, dear detective."

Gumshoe's hand twitched, a silent debate going on in his mind. He had a pistol of his own, and was the only one who wasn't restrained. Currently, it was only him who could do anything about the situation presented before them. The five others were already being held back, however, and he was certain the phoney bailiffs had pistols of their own.

Could he really do it?

"You still think it's a good idea?" Bruto asked, an eyebrow raised. "Tch. I've faced people like you, who wish to be the heroes. It's a sad sight when they try to act on their desire." He casually changed the gun's direction, now facing towards Kay and Miles. It swung again, now in the direction of Larry, who stopped his struggling for a moment with widened eyes. "How would you feel, if I pulled the trigger now? If I killed all those you call your friends in an instant?"

The detective's hand relaxed unwillingly, his head dropping in silent defeat. Three bailiffs rushed towards him, immediately taking his gun after restraining him. He put up no protest as he was pushed to the floor, the barrel of three pistols pointed at him.

Kay could only look at him, feeling deflated. Part of her – the childish part – had believed he could have done it.

He didn't meet her gaze as he spoke. "Sorry, pal."

"How humorous," Bruto mused. He smiled slightly. "How so, so amusing. You actually believed you could save everybody?" He strolled around the courtroom, sighing as the gun twirling in his fingers with ease. "It's almost as laughable as believing that I could ever be locked up. Guilty verdict or not, I had a way out, and I always will." He turned to the two prosecutors, smirking once more. "So how does it feel then, Mr Miles Edgeworth and Ms Kay Faraday, to learn that your efforts were entirely wasted on an impossible feat?"

Kay could only look down from where she was being restrained, trying to ignore the heavy weight that he settled in her stomach, gnawing away at everything she'd thought she'd been fighting for.

It had all been for nothing.

"Hey, man!" Larry protested, now seated on the ground. He began to stand, but was immediately pushed back down. "Dude, stop being mean to my babe Kay! Well, she's not really my babe, Viola's my babe and she'd Edgey's babe, but you know! Edgey, help me out here."

"Larry," Edgeworth hissed through gritted teeth. He too was on the ground, close by to Kay. "Please, for once in your life, _shut up_."

"But, dude! He totally just bagged out you and Kay!"

"Silence!" barked Bruto. He stepped towards Larry. "You dare to suggest my granddaughter would _actually _care about you? You're an idiot; you were used! Used for the sake of pinning the crime on another! In the end, it would never have been necessary; guilty or not, I'd get out. It's just a little more… _convenient_, if another can take the fall."

"There are just two things I wish to know, Mr Cadaverini," Edgeworth managed to say moments later. He knew that above all, they needed time. With any luck, Ema was aware of what was going on inside the courtroom that now seemed to be blocked off from the rest of the world. If buying time was the only thing he could do, then he'd do it.

Bruto turned away from Larry, scoffing in Miles' direction.

He took it as permission to speak. "Why didn't you leave, when Viola did that night?" The prosecutor's gaze never strayed from the enemy.

"One thing in my testimony was true, not that it ever mattered," the mob boss replied. "I was injured that night; Charles managed to deliver one blow to my knee before I silenced him eternally. I was unable to move."

"Because your knee had already been weakened from a bullet wound previously," Miles finished. "But why was the building not blown up immediately after your arrest? Why wait until two days had passed, when evidence had already been found?"

The eldest man didn't answer. Eventually, he turned slightly, facing his granddaughter.

Viola had calmed down enough by then, though she was still considerably shaken. She was aware eyes were on her, and she looked up at her kin. "I took matters into my own hands," she said blankly. "I… thought I could do it on my own. I testified, but failed. I even tried to offer the guards… special treats to let me go. Only then did I do as you asked and destroyed the building with fireworks."

"Yes, you did," Bruto said, his voice suddenly much softer, like he was talking to a young child rather than a women in her thirties. He helped her to her feet gently. "You tried, but it didn't work, Viola. You should have done as your grandfather asked and burnt the letter… my plan was flawless. It would have destroyed the evidence, everybody involved… and suddenly, there would have been no leads. It couldn't have failed."

"B-But…" Viola looked to be struggling, as though she was trying to say something but just couldn't. Eventually she gave in. "I'm sorry, grandfather. _I _failed."

Once again, Larry spoke. "Hey! Stop giving her a hard time!" he ordered. "Just because she doesn't wanna be a killer like you it doesn't mean you can be a jerk!"

"If," Kristoph said, speaking tightly from where he was being held for the first time, "somebody would please make the gentleman over there be quiet?"

"Larry!" Edgeworth barked, questioning if his former friend understood the gravity of the situation. "For god's sake, keep your mouth _shut_."

"I think I've had just about enough of you, boy," Bruto commented. He motioned for the only mob member that wasn't guarding anybody to come over to him. "Silence him for good," he ordered, as though it was nothing.

"WHAT?" Larry shrieked. "No, no no no no, dude, you can't do that! Come'on, th-that'd be…!" He made a few wild arm gestures when he found he couldn't speak anymore, as a pistol once again was pointed at him.

"Hey!" Kay protested. She could hardly believe what was happening before her.

Bruto took no notice. "It's time for us to leave. The area around here is surrounded by the Cadaverini mob; we'll be alright. Come, Viola. You don't need to see this." His back was turned to the rest of them.

"And just what won't she be seeing?" the judge demanded. "Hey, stop! Where you are going?"

"The murder of all of you, of course," Bruto replied, walking towards the door. "And currently, I'm headed towards the doors you'll never walk through again."

Miles' teeth clenched together. "If you plan on leaving, then there's no reason to do this!" he protested. "None!"

"It sends out the very message I wish the world to receive," the man responded simply. His neck craned slightly to view the prosecutor, his next words spoken in a ghostly whisper. "Nobody, not one, messes with the Cadaverini mob."

It happened too fast.

In a blur of movement, a slim, weak figure crashed into the man pointing the gun, words of protests rushing from trembling lips. Kay's eyes widened in shock as the man stumbled, a rough, abrupt grunt coming from him just a second before a gunshot sounded.

One person collapsed.

One suddenly feared for their life.

Six could only watch soundlessly.

And just as the situation seemed to sink in for those remaining, one screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoy that shameful cliffhanger, while I go on holiday for six months and won't be updating! …just kidding. I'm not that cruel. This story is drawing to a close pretty damn fast though. Is it acceptable for me to get emotional yet, or…?**

**Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my chapter, review it maybe?**


	13. It's Never for Nothing

Kay expected the scene to unfold slowly. It didn't.

The body had immediately fallen to the ground, all life sucked from it ruthlessly. There were no last words that everybody in the room would remember clearly for years after. There were no desperate attempts to keep them alive from those surrounding them; all knew that it would do nothing. What remained after the gunshot was only a corpse and nothing more.

Viola Cadaverini was dead.

The ragged, piercing sound that had left Bruto's mouth slowly died away, though its presence could never be forgotten. "You bastard." He strode briskly over to where the mob member stood, still holding his pistol numbly in shock. Kneeling down, his shaking hand immediately tested for a pulse. Nobody dared to say a word. "You've killed her." The words were harsh and cold, threat running through them.

"N-No!" he protested feebly. He stepped away from the mob boss, bowing hastily. He knew he didn't stand a chance. "No, sh-she jumped in front of me! I-I-!"

"You filthy, revolting bastard!" Bruto stormed, shaking violently. "You dare blame what you did on my granddaughter? You dare blame her death on somebody other than yourself?" His hand tightened around his own pistol as he looked at his kin again, an intelligible sound coming from him.

Swiftly, he rose, turning straight towards the member. A gunshot sounded, accompanied by a shriek. The man had immediately sunk to the ground, clutching his shoulder.

"You deserve to die," Bruto said, voice filled with disgust. "Painfully."

"Boss!" one member barked. He stepped away from guarding Larry, looking at the man in the eyes. "She jumped in front of the gun, she knocked into him! It couldn't be helped."

"Do you want the same fate as him?!" Bruto demanded roughly, gesturing to the man on the ground. "Of course it could have been helped! It was not her fault that this… imbecile panicked!" He turned again, firing another shot at the one on the ground. A faint whimper followed.

"We're not some caretakers for your deranged grandkid, Cadaverini!" another member spat. "You should have controlled the brat!"

"How dare you insult the Cadaverini name!"

"Silence!"

The thief felt sick. She wanted to tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her, but found they were locked there out of pure terror. Gently, a hand rested in from of them, obscuring everything.

"You don't need to watch this," Edgeworth muttered. "Just wait for my signal. We need to get out of here." She felt his contact closer, and she as much as she could ignored the happenings from around her, to escape from everything. It was impossible.

How had it happened?

She'd come from being a reckless thief, immature and naïve to the world around her, who lived off the thrills of life. She'd tried her best to be helpful; the consequences for doing so were non-existent. _Fear_ seemed non-existent, or at least, excitement outweighed it completely. The Yatagarasu was an adventure; solving the mysteries and continuing the legacy her father had a hand in beginning had filled her with pride. Despite the burning embassy, despite having the culprit point a gun to her head… it had never made her stray from her goal.

So why did the situation change? She was still Kay Faraday; but this type of situation was not in any way enticing. The goal of the truth seemed obscure; impossible. Once it had been stolen, it had just as quickly been pulled back into the hands of the enemies, though in the end, the enemy didn't care. The entire time, they'd played along with the courtroom game. Either verdict would have given the same results.

The voices around them become louder, more gunshots ringing throughout the room. At the same time, the noise was become softer and softer, a drumming filling her.

And suddenly, she was being pushed and pulled, and everything returned in full force. Gunshots were heard clearly, people were yelling, she seemed to be forced downwards and suddenly, they were encased in darkness, followed by something slamming shut.

Kay blinked a few times, though it made no difference to her sight. The ones around her were breathing in deeply, and she only seconds later realised that she too was short of breath, making just as much noise as the others. "Where are we?" she managed to choke out.

"Despite the judge's lack of wit," Edgeworth began from next to her, "it turns out he was actually aware of an escape route all along."

"Prosecutor Edgeworth!" the man protested. "Of course I was aware! That trapdoor by my feet has been there longer than I have… say, that comment might just lose you the case!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Kay said, the words tumbling out of her. She leant against whatever wall there was, cold and hard. "_That_ would lose us the case? Despite that fact that there is a full scale war going on up there because of the defendant? Obviously that logic works." She couldn't be bothered continuing.

"It might be a good idea to keep quiet," another voice suggested. "It's was by a stroke of fortunate luck that their pitiful arguing distracted them enough; the last thing we need is to blow our own cover from arguing ourselves."

"Why would you care, pal?!" Gumshoe suddenly demanded, trying to contain the volume of his usually booming voice. "You were defending that guy! You probably want us to be found out, just so you don't have to face the shame of losing! You knew who he was all along!"

The defense attorney sighed impatiently. "Don't make me laugh. You think I defended that man out of my own free will?" Kay could make out the sound of Kristoph himself leaning against the wall, followed by another sigh, this time more fatigued. "I received his request the day after the murder, early in the morning. I arrived at the detention centre expecting an ordinary man, and at first glance, he _was_ ordinary. But then he told me the truth; his real identity." He laughed drily. "I didn't believe him, not at first. Then he mentioned cases the Cadaverinis had taken part in; cases that few knew about. He was certainly not an accountant, as his alias had stated. Later on that day, I was paid a… visit from a few of his mob, just to ensure that I had no further doubts. I was ordered to defend him and get a not guilty verdict, and they informed me that they'd already set up a few things to help me along."

"The _Dawson's_ building collapse," Edgeworth muttered. "He'd planned it from the beginning."

"Of course he had, but I didn't know until it had happened. His granddaughter didn't set off the bombs until the second day of the trial. Instead, she decided to testify."

"But Viola was told to do that!" Larry protested loudly. "It's not her fault she had to blow up a building! She's not a criminal!"

"Larry, I don't want to tell you for a fourth time today," Edgeworth hissed. "_Shut. Up._"

"So what happens now, pal?" Gumshoe asked, somewhat miserably. The thief made out the sounds of him sliding to the floor. "There's not a lot we can do from down here," he muttered. "Nothing but wait."

"What was happening, before you came back into the courtroom?" Edgeworth enquired.

"Somebody else was put in charge of security with Ema, sir," the detective replied. "I don't know who."

"Whoever they are," Kristoph muttered, "let's hope they know how to do the job. Do you not remember what Bruto Cadaverini said?" Faint clicking filled the space, as though he was adjusting his glasses. "This entire building is surrounded by his men."

* * *

><p>It took a long time for the sounds above them to become softer.<p>

For the first few minutes, the gunshots never seemed to cease. The shouting, though muffled, could easily be distinguishing as fighting, while the thumping from above them signalled running. It was only after the fourth minute that things became quieter, though definitely still frenzied.

Everybody had sunk to the ground, silence coating the room thickly. It was cramped, though nobody could find the heart to complain about that detail. Kay found herself between Edgeworth and Gumshoe; the two people she needed to be with most. There was so much she wanted to say to both of them. She couldn't find the words.

There was one question on everybody's mind. When would it end?

Suddenly, the noise started up again in full force as something seemed to crash. The scene was once again completely hectic, and everybody felt panic rise within them, uncertainty about what was happening clear. However, it dimmed faster, until there was nothing at all.

"Is it over?" somebody whispered after a moment of silence had passed.

Gumshoe rose unsteadily. In the process, he knocked against Larry harshly, who immediately yelped loudly.

"_Larry_!" Edgeworth snapped, reaching over to him to shove a hand against his mouth, still making some strangled sounds.

Above them, not a sound was heard for seconds, until footsteps slowly made their way towards them, becoming louder. Everybody held their breath.

And just as the hatched opened, light flooding into the small area, Kay felt relief overwhelm her, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Uncle Badd."

* * *

><p>"You have a knack… for getting into trouble." Badd pulled the lolly-pop from his mouth, frowning slightly as he examined it before putting it back in. "Just like Byrne. You two are more alike than I thought."<p>

"I suppose so. I never expected one of my first trials to end like this." She hesitated. "Let me amend that testimony; I never expected_ any_ of my trials to end like this. At all."

The detective sighed. "And you shouldn't. This world is full of more filth than you can imagine. Half the Cadaverini members that were in that room are now dead, Bruto's own granddaughter too. He's not in a very good state, currently. Not just physically. He's lost everything."

Kay looked up at her uncle from where she was sitting, on one of the seats outside a courtroom. "Why are you here, anyway? You aren't usually in this area."

"Because of you." He took a moment, concentrating on his treat. "News travels fast, even to where I am. I wasn't thrilled when I found out you were diving head first into something like this… so I immediately set out to come here. I was placed on security. Then, once the fight broke out, we had to wait for the right moment to intervene. The place was surrounded by Cadaverinis.

"How did you?"

"We used the same dirty trick Bruto used." Upon receiving her expression, he sighed, removing the lolly-pop from his mouth once more. "He managed to get all his men in the building by disguising them as members of our security. So we did the same thing; it wasn't that hard to pass ourselves off as mob members. We just had to ditch the uniform, which was easy for me, though the kid did stand out."

"Kid…?" Kay echoed.

"Wanna-be scientist? Wears a white lab coat? Even with her attitude, she's not exactly mob material."

"Oh, Ema. Is she alright!?" Kay demanded, standing quickly. She suddenly felt like an idiot; she'd completely forgotten about her.

A new contact was immediately on her arm. "She's alright," Edgeworth spoke softly. "I've just spoken to a few officers; she's at the precinct, informing them of all that's happened personally. She'd not injured in any way."

Kay's relief was only short-lived. "You are okay, aren't you?" she confirmed, looking towards her uncle. "You shouldn't have had to come here."

"Of course I am… it's just another hole in my coat," Badd said, somewhat wistfully looking at the newest harm. "And don't you dare say you're sorry; none of this was your fault. Though you should have been more careful… at the end of the day, Bruto Cadaverini began this. You just caught up in his web of destruction, and didn't take the easy path of leaving. You really are like the Yatagarasu." He looked down at his wrist. "I need to go. I hope I can leave you in your fiancé's care and not be worried?"

"Wait… how did you know…?" Kay began.

"Like I said, news travels fast," Badd replied gruffly. "Next time, maybe call me to let me know I'll be a great uncle."

Kay smiled slightly, mocking a salute. "Will do, sir."

Badd nodded, free hand rummaging his pocket. He pulled out a bronze badge. "I'm guessing this is yours? It was found in the courtroom." He placed it in her hand, lolly-pop back in his mouth. "Be careful… not to lose it." Without another word, he made his way out the doors.

Kay looked into her palm. The Yatagarasu badge that Miles had given her on the day of her first trial sat in the centre. Smiling, it was quickly pinned back on.

The man next to her shifted slightly. "He wasn't really… irate with us, was he?"

"Doubt it."

"…Mm."

"You can't seriously tell me you're scared of Uncle Badd," she protested. "I mean, I was _going_ to call him. It's not like I was avoiding telling him… the last few days have just been hectic."

"Hectic is an understatement." His head turned to the side, and he immediately sighed, an arm wrapping around her shoulder.

Kay looked just in time to see it.

Bruto, three officers surrounding him tightly, was limping out of a side room. A bandage had clumsily been wrapped around his arm, a dark stain already seeping through. There was a nasty gash on the side of his neck that trailed right up to his cheek, where a guard was still applying pressure. Neither of the two were what had shocked the young prosecutor.

For a split second, they looked at each other. His face contorted, and for a moment, he stopped walking, as though he were considering something. Where anger was once present, his eyes showed nothing as they darted back and forward between the two, narrowing the slightest bit. He was visibly shaking, tremors making their way through his entire body as he began to walk again, turning back to the path in front of him.

One after another, two more mob members followed suit, security plentiful around them. Like their leader, they too had received blows, one barely able to hobble their way out, the other with bruising trailing down the side of his face. The doors to the lobby finally swung shut.

"Kay?" Edgeworth said a moment later.

She didn't respond. Silently, she shrugged off the arm around her and headed towards the courtroom, opening the door slowly.

What once had been a lavish and honourable place had been demoted to a wreck. The benches had toppled, the walls had bullets embedded inside them and blood stained both the ground and most other items there. How she had missed such destruction when first leaving the little room was something she could never answer.

"They destroyed everything." She stepped further into the deserted room, stomach churning as the smell of blood still lingered in the air. "Not just this room. Half the people in it aside from us were killed."

"I know," were the only words he could offer.

She turned to him. "How do you do it?" she demanded. "This… I've only been prosecuting for two months. _Two months._" Again her eyes swept through the room. "I lost. Either way, the truth didn't matter this time. It was Uncle Badd who got us out; the guilty verdict did nothing." Her hand dove into her pocket, clenching her badge. "What use was I as a prosecutor? It was all-"

"Don't say it," he interrupted quickly. "Don't you dare say that it was all for nothing, Kay, because it wasn't. It's never for nothing, no matter the outcome." He carefully guided her out of the room, knowing it was doing no good.

As soon as they were out, she immediately sat on one of the lobby couches, one hand still in her pocket.

"You did win, you know."

"I… did?" She looked up, huffing slightly. "Look, I appreciate that you're trying to make me feel better, but I'd rather not be patronised."

"I'm not lying. You know about the State vs Fey trial… the first one," he clarified. "Mia Fey was murdered, her sister Maya the suspect. But the true killer was the boss of an information company that had so much influence over the police. He was untouchable."

"You prosecuted that case, didn't you?" she confirmed. Hesitating, she continued. "But Redd White _did_ get convicted in the end. It was the first time you lost."

"Yes… because of Wright," Edgeworth replied. "Despite knowing the dangers, despite knowing the case was near impossible to pursue… he did." He avoided all eye contact. "Which is much more than I can say_ I_ did. I selfishly clung to a win record that was meaningless, risking having an innocent person being convicted. Why? Because I knew what Redd White was capable of. Though part of me was in denial that either Wright or Maya was innocent – von Karma's teachings still embedded within me – another part knew they were, and I could recognise that I feared the man. The difference between you and I is that I was a coward, while you stood strong."

"We were under different circumstances," Kay began, however he shook his head.

"No. It was pathetic of me. Despite this case being rigged from the beginning, you never gave up on it, regardless of the dangers. Was it reckless of you? Of course. Did it make me want to pull you back to your senses? Again, yes. But your determination was there." He offered a smile. "It will serve you well in years to come. I would prefer it if cases weren't so… dangerous, though."

"Viola didn't deserve any of what happened."

"Of course she didn't." A small, leather-bound book was brushed against her free hand. "But this explains it."

"Huh?"

"Bruto's letter wasn't the only thing found in the Tender Lender building," he explained, taking a seat next to her. "Gumshoe only presented to the court what was relevant. But this sheds some light. Look to the last page."

She did as she was told.

_I'm sick of it._

_They tell me that they love me, that I'm a precious doll to them. Grandfather said it so often when Furio was around. But I see them looking at me like I am a hopeless and pathetic girl who can do nothing, and I have to remain that way._

_When Furio left, everything changed. It was both our mistakes, but I know grandfather was disappointed in me. I should have burned the restaurant down from the start. Now he no longer depends on me for a thing, because I am hopeless. Some days I feel like destroying him with crackling flames too… but I can't._

_Until now, because now he needs me for a job. And if I can do this for him, then maybe I'll be accepted again. But it hurts._

_I just want to be better. But does that involve doing it?_

"So all this time…" Kay muttered.

"…she just wanted acceptance. After the State vs Byrde case, she didn't get it any longer," Edgeworth said softly, closing the book. "Her grandfather wouldn't have mentioned it to her, but he thought her mistake was due to the accident Furio put her in a while ago; because of her mental state. So he didn't rely on her anymore."

"So she thought he didn't care about her. That's why she did it. But…" Kay frowned, "why was she so against it, if she was so desperate to win his approval? Why did she knock into the mob member, and not blow up the building?"

"I have a theory… involving Larry."

Kay's jaw dropped. "You think she actually…?"

Mile shook his head. "No. Part of her instructions was to find somebody to pin the crime on for convenience, using manipulation. That was the problem with it; do you remember what Wright said yesterday, when we asked him about Viola?"

'_I have the feeling that Viola's been used a lot in her lifetime.'_

"She'd already been manipulated," the thief said. "She knew what it felt like, and she hated doing it to an innocent person. So she didn't want to cause Larry any more damage, when he was about to be shot."

"That's why she tried to stop it. But…" he trailed off, knowing that she'd gotten his message. "As for not blowing up the building, she wanted another way to help without resorting to that. It meant framing Larry, but it was better than potentially killing somebody. But testifying didn't work, so she had no other option. She was forced into both."

"She didn't deserve any of it," Kay repeated again. "Viola…"

"This case destroyed a lot of people," Miles told her. "Charles Dawson, many of the Cadaverini mob, Viola… but the one who it truly ruined, who has to live with the guilt of his granddaughter's death for the rest of his days, is Bruto himself. Like your uncle said, he's lost everything."

Kay was now aware that the badge was digging into her hand painfully, and she withdrew it from her pocket, looking at the small item. "You know," she murmured slowly, "I did always wonder why prosecutors didn't wear their badges. I think I asked Dad one time, but I can't remember his answer." She smiled slightly. "I'm not giving this up," she announced, pinning it to her collar where the Yatagarasu pin was already present. "I didn't spend three whole years studying non-stop to give up, did I? Things… won't always be easy. But it's a good thing the Yatagarasu is used to that."

"That is correct. You're right; things won't be easy," Miles admitted. "But keeping your eyes on the goal is what's important, and I'd say that isn't a problem for this raven." He managed to pull her into a gentle embrace, where she relaxed, the troubles from the past few days gradually dimming. "You're already soaring."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Does anybody else get the feeling that these chapters gradually got longer and longer as this story progressed? There was meant to be a whole other scene in this chapter, but I couldn't fit it D: It'll go in the next chapter, with the ending.**

**Yes, you heard right. This hasn't ended quite yet. MWAHAHA YOU GUYS HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I ACTUALLY UPLOAD THE NEXT CHAPTER TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS! Ya'know, this was the first time I've killed off a canon character. I'd killed OCs before (Aaron Jones, if you remember :P) but not a canon character. A moment of silence for Viola Cadaverini, if you please. Possibly the creepiest AA character, not including Jean Armstrong.**

**K GUYS LETS SEE IF I CAN GET THIS TO 100 REVIEWS BEFORE THE STORY ENDS ALRIGHT OTHERWISE I WON'T UPDATE AGAIN! No, I'm kidding. This thing just reached fifty (thanks!), 100 would be a miracle. The miracle never happen, guys :P  
><strong>

**In other news, I saw the Ace Attorney movie~ My review is on my DA account, my username there is charcargo. Okay, I'll leave now. Thanks again for reading!  
><strong>

**~Clide**


	14. Déjà vu

The mug was lifted to her lips, and she breathed in the sweet aroma of chocolate before taking a sip, enjoying the taste.

Across from her, an equally as satisfied detective had just started on his swiss roll, pulling it apart carefully before popping it into his mouth. "Definitely the best swiss roll I've had, pal!" he told her happily after he swallowed it, moving for a second piece. "Much better than the ones in vending machines."

"You're right about that," Kay agreed, taking a bite of her own. It seemed to melt in her mouth, and she wanted to savour it for as long as possible.

"It's a shame Mr Edgeworth couldn't make it," Gumshoe said. His eyes suddenly widened, and he looked to be panicking. "Hold on, he didn't have a trial today, did he pal? I'm not supposed to be anywhere, right?!"

The thief shook her head, laughing as he suddenly relaxed. "No, he had some business with Franziska. You know, von Karma stuff. He said to wish you a happy birthday though. Franziska did too, but she muttered it, so I'm not really sure."

Gumshoe beamed widely. "Tell them I said thanks if you see them before I do, pal! And thanks to you too, for organising this and all. It's been a while since I've had a birthday party… not since I was a kid!"

It wasn't much of a party. A simple lunch at a café that Kay had made sure sold swiss rolls. But he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, and that's what mattered. "Don't worry about it. I should have thrown you one years ago." She grinned. "You're getting old, Gummy! By the way, why couldn't Maggey come? Work?"

"Aww, don't tell me that, pal!" he said, frowning. "I'm not that old yet! And the only date she could get for an appointment to organise the bouquet was today."

The prosecutor immediately placed her roll back on its plate, kicking him under the table. "Gummy!" she protested. "You should have told me! I mean, it's for the wedding, right? Why aren't you with her?" She groaned, head in hands. "I feel bad, now. We could have done this another day, you know."

"Don't, pal!" he said quickly. "I don't think I'd be allowed in that shop again anyway." He suddenly looked deflated. "The last time I was there, I knocked over three rows of flowers and made a right big mess of things. I reckon it's better that Maggey went in on her own… she suggested it, actually."

Feeling a bit better, though somewhat sorry for him, she continued. "Does this mean you've decided the date then?"

"Next month, pal!" he replied cheerfully while chewing on another piece.

Kay almost spat out her drink. "That's… soon," she told him after swallowing. "I mean, you only proposed two weeks ago, right?"

"It's not like we're having anything really fancy though, pal," Gumshoe pointed out. "Just a simple event with a few family and friends is enough for us. Besides, we figured the sooner, the better! After all, something has a bigger chance of going wrong the longer it takes, right pal?"

"I guess so. Just as long as the reception has swiss rolls."

He nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way. After all…" he suddenly looked grateful, "you were the one who helped me out, pal. Without you this wouldn't be happening." As she'd told Edgeworth she would, Kay had put what she'd earned from the Cadaverini case into Gumshoe and Maggey's wedding. "It really made a difference."

"Don't worry about it," the thief told him. "Really."

The street around them was bustling with people, but at the same time seemed pleasantly quiet. Both appreciated that the sun was out, shining a pleasant warmth on them both as they finished their meals contently.

"How are you anyway, pal?" he asked.

She sighed, hand wrapping around the mug again. "Pretty good, I guess. It's been so much… quieter since the case. And you won't believe it… actually, you probably will, but Larry got another girlfriend." She paused for a moment. "I'm still trying to work out with Miles when I won't be working any longer. He seems to think now is the right time." She scoffed, taking a sip. "But then I'd be doing nothing for six months, and there aren't that many Jammin' Ninja episodes to watch over and over, since it stopped halfway through season 3. The Yatagarasu has better things to be doing!"

"I wouldn't stress over it too much, pal," Gumshoe told her. "Maybe you could try out the Steel Samurai? We both know Mr Edgeworth has the entire collection, and there's something like seven seasons! Apparently the movies aren't bad, either."

Kay was silent.

Her friend, or more accurately, pal, frowned. "Are you okay? I mean, you don't _have_ to try out the Steel Samurai if you don't want to, I just thought…"

She laughed softly. "It's not that, Gummy. It's just… terrifying," she admitted. "Everything. Sometimes it still feels like I'm a kid; I mean, here I am, obsessed with a show made for them! But only months away I'll be having a child myself. Things seem unreal, somehow. And though I know we'll be alright, that it's a good thing, it still is terrifying." She sighed. "I'm probably being stupid. I mean, Miles seems to have this more figured out than I do."

"He's nervous too, pal," Gumshoe informed her. "I can tell."

"But it's different. He's a lot more… responsible." Kay used the fork to idly play around with the last piece of her swiss roll. "He has this worked out, he's… more collected about it. I know I probably should be like that too. At the same time, I don't want to be."

"He lost his dad, and then he had to live with Mr von Karma, who wasn't exactly the fatherly type." Gumshoe reminded her. "I think he'd be terrified of being too harsh, or just not good enough, so he's focusing on the serious side of things. But he'll get through this, and so will you. You don't have to worry."

"Huh?"

The detective smiled. "Just because you're going to be a mum, it doesn't mean you have to change who you are. I mean, sure, you're gonna have some more responsibilities and all; it'll be different. But parenting's not just about all that. You don't have to suddenly stop being you; you can be both. Just as long as you don't take your kid on a heist, I think you'll be fine." He nodded to something behind her, and she turned, noticing that the one in question had just stepped out of his car. "Just like how Mr Edgeworth will be the one to keep you both in line, as he does normally, you can still be exciting and pull him out of the line every now and then, your kid too."

Kay smiled back, his words filling her with a new relief. "You know, you'd make a great dad, Gummy. Any kid would be lucky to have you."

The detective blushed. "Aw, pal. Maybe one day, if Maggey wants kids. I'll just settle for Uncle Gumshoe now. But anyway…" he suddenly smiled warmly, "my point is that you're supposed to have one fun parent and one serious parent, pal. And I'd say the serious parent is already taken."

* * *

><p><em>Ten years later<em>

"It's not my fault!" the nine-year-old stated, not for the first time. She crossed her arms stubbornly, pouting across to the other side of the room.

Miles looked at his daughter dubiously from the files he was studying. "You were caught taking something from another student's locker, Viola. I really can't see how you weren't aware of your actions, knowing fully well that it was the wrong decision."

"Didn't matter," Viola muttered. "'Sides, it's not even worth me being sent home over!"

"Give your past history, it's a wonder you haven't been expelled yet," Kay commented. She winked at her daughter, grinning. "Climbing rooftops, sneaking into classrooms… what will we do with you, Miss? One day we might have to prosecute you."

Viola tried to hide it, but a small smile was trying to make its way to her lips at the prospect. She didn't reply to her mother, instead turning to her father. "So… I'm grounded?"

"Yes," the man replied, not looking up.

"That's not fair!" she protested. "Dad, please!" After getting no response, she groaned. "You haven't even heard _my_ side of the story yet! It's not like I did it to take anything I wanted, I did it to steal the truth! Like you and Mum!"

"Don't encourage her," Miles muttered softly before Kay could say a word. "I apologise, but the decision is final, Viola."

Huffing, the girl made her way to her bedroom, making sure to slam as many doors as possible on her way there. The apartment suddenly became much more quiet.

"The school really shouldn't have sent her home," Kay defended, taking a seat on the couch. "She's no worse than I was, and I didn't get sent home once. It could have been because both Dad and Uncle Badd refused to pick me up until school had actually finished, and the teachers didn't know what to do with me, but still."

"She's following in your footsteps, wanting to become a Great Thief," he replied, sighing. "How has she become this troublesome to deal with?"

In the course of the nine years, Viola had managed to get herself into the strangest of situations. Whether it was climbing a bookshelf as an infant or ending up completely lost in the city – both of which had happened multiple times – she seemed completely unfazed by either. Kay saw her eyes light up whenever she did anything dangerous, as though she enjoyed it more than anything else.

She believed that her guess was accurate. Throughout her life, Viola had always been on the practical side of life, away from the glimmer. At the age of five, she refused to wear dresses, as she couldn't run as fast in them, and they slowed her down. At seven, she demanded she get her hair cut shorter. Claiming to her father that it was because she disliked brushing long hair, she only confided to her mother that it was so she had less chance of leave evidence behind.

And now, at age nine, not a fortnight went by without them receiving a call from the school, about _something _that had gone wrong that was undoubtedly her doing. It wasn't that she was impolite, or violent. To Miles' relief, she was well mannered, and knew limits when it came to others. The calls would usually be about her suddenly disappearing, or being caught snooping through various parts of the school where she shouldn't have been.

Stealing from a locker was a first, however. So was the suspension that came with it.

Kay didn't care about the suspension. Whatever had actually happened, she knew there would have been a better explanation than what the school had given them. The only thing she was concerned over was the backlash Viola's actions would bring when she got back to school, with the other students.

"It's only going to be worse in the teenage years," Kay reminded him. "When she starts earning her own money and understands freedom better."

"That's because you encourage her," the man pointed out. He sighed, taking off his glasses and closing his eyes. "I had to come midway through an investigation this time."

"I told you, you didn't have to," Kay reminded him. "I could have handled it; I wasn't doing anything important back at the office."

"You think I'd let you go alone after what happened all the other times?" he replied, eyes opening. "When you claimed they only wanted to see us to inform us of how wonderful her art project was going? Or when you told me that the nurse had sent her home because she had a fever, because it clearly had nothing to do with the missing cakes from the staff room that strangely enough looked like the ones she'd _made_ us for dessert the same night." Upon seeing her expression, he managed a small smile. "Yes, I know about all of this. You're not the only one who gets the calls, you know, or the monthly reports. I wasn't letting it happen another time."

"You're right, we should be completely honest." A smirk made its way to Kay's mouth. "It wasn't as though the two of you were at a samurai convention last weekend instead of court, right?" Before he could respond, she laughed, standing. "Anyway, I might go see how she is."

As she reached the door to Viola's room, Miles spoke. "Kay? Please, don't encourage her. I'm serious."

"I won't," she said innocently before opening the door and slipping inside.

Viola was sitting on her bed, back facing the door. She'd let her hair out, black locks only just touching her shoulder. From the lack of response to the entry, it was clear she was still unhappy.

"So what where you trying to steal, Miss?"

The daughter huffed, turning to look at her mother. Her grey eyes were filled with annoyance. "I heard some kid say he was going to cheat on the science test, because he already had all the answers in his locker. But he's a teacher's pet, so it wasn't like I could do anything but take the answers before he used them right?"

It made enough sense. "So what went wrong then?" Kay enquired, taking a seat next to Viola.

"David!" she burst out, voice strained. "He was supposed to keep watch when I was unpicking the lock, but he chickened out!"

Kay looked at the girl dubiously. "You chose _David_? He's not exactly sidekick material."

David Gumshoe, the first child of Dick and Maggey. Though he was five months younger than Viola, he looked as though he could surpass her by years. He took after his father in appearance; very tall and a larger build than most boys of his age, but like his mother had soft brown hair. Though he tried to keep neat, his hands were often covered in ink or dirt, clothes crumped from some sort of fall. Like his parents, he had a big heart. Unlike them, he was subdued; very quiet and became anxious quickly if the situation was stressful.

"It's not like I could choose anybody else, Mum," Viola pointed out. "David's my onl-" She cut of midsentence, silence covering her. "I hate being short," she added eventually.

It was a topic that was discussed often. Viola was far behind other girls her age in height; just another reason to be considered 'different'. "You'll grow," Kay replied simply.

"That's what you always say."

"It's easier to be a thief when you're small though." Kay grinned. "You're built just right for the job."

"Dad would kill me if I became a thief," her daughter commented. "He doesn't like anything I do."

Kay shrugged. "He hasn't killed me yet. And that's not true; you both enjoy watching the Steel Samurai, don't you?"

To her dismay, Viola had no interest in The Jammin' Ninja, but had immediately fallen in love with Samurai's instead. Kay often caught the two curled up on one of the sofas, watching the latest episode. Miles' face would be blank, though occasionally a flicker of uncertainty would cross over his eyes when the hero was in trouble, relief doing the same when he escaped the peril. Viola's reactions were a lot more obvious. It was the one time that the two seemed completely in sync with each other.

"I reckon Dad likes the show more than I do," Viola said, smiling slightly.

Looking around the poster-filled room, Kay laughed. "I bet you're right."

There was a knock on the door, followed by, "Viola? David's here to see you."

"So much for being grounded," Viola muttered. "Good! He has some explaining to do," she announced loudly.

"Come on, don't be like that. Go easy on him," Kay whispered, opening the door.

He stood before he, hands twisting together and suddenly looking very frightened. "Um…" David began. "W-Well, I know you might not want me to s-see her and all because o-of what happened at school, but is Vi-Viola… um… can I…?"

Kay smiled kindly, opening the door wider. It was impossible for one's heart not to melt when looking at Gummy's child. "It'd fine, David, you're always welcome here." She ruffled his hair, laughing when his face turned a brighter shade of red. She left the two friends to talk, shutting the door carefully behind her.

"What happened to not encouraging her?" Edgeworth asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"I didn't!" Kay denied.

"Surely you've noticed by now?"

She was confused further. "Noticed what?"

"That the vent in the living room connects to her bedroom as well, and if you press your ear to it you can hear whatever's going on in either of the two rooms," he explained. "I'm surprised such a _professional_ thief didn't work it out yet."

A hand was pressed to her mouth in surprise. Every single conversation she'd had with her daughter in her bedroom came back to her; he could have heard every single one. She tried to remember if she'd said anything particularly bad, but couldn't for the life of her. "Oh," was all she said. She suddenly grinned. "So you're saying that, if I went to the vent now, I could hear what David and Viola are talking about?"

"Yes, although I don't see the point. It would likely be her scolding him for his poor efforts in being an accomplice."

"Oh, come on. You can't tell me you haven't though that they're together, right?"

It was his turn to be surprised. "No, absolutely not," he countered quickly. He quickly removed his glasses, wiping them down with a cloth vigorously. "I mean… she's nine years old! She wouldn't be ready for something like that, would she? David can barely handle a younger sister, let alone a girlfriend!" He was beginning to ramble aimlessly.

Meg Gumshoe, the second child, was a handful. Few people could calm the four year old successfully, and David was not on the list. Surprisingly, Miles was.

"David is…" he continued, "well… they're polar opposites. Friendship was a large enough stretch, but there's no way-"

"-Says the prosecutor to the thief."

* * *

><p>She couldn't help herself.<p>

Kay felt awkward and out of place when trying to join in the time of the night when the television would be turned on to one channel only, to witness the ongoing fight to save Neo Olde Tokyo from its vengeful enemies. But she wanted to know what was going on, whether she was there or not.

Ear against the air vent in Viola's room, she strained to listen.

"_You've lost everything, Steel Samurai!_" the voice cackled. "_All your friends have left you; they no longer believe in your quest for justice at all! I've turned them against you, and there's nothing you can do about it!_"

"Daddy, that man sounds like my principal," Viola commented. It was the only time she called him Daddy, when they were in the middle of an episode.

"_You…_" the voice was becoming stronger. "_You will never be able to abolish the battle for integrity! You may turn thousands against me, but never will you destroy the true name of justice!_" It sounded at through two swords had collided, dramatic music beginning.

"He's not going to make it!" Viola cried, aghast at the thought. It sounded as though she was moving on the couch, probably closer to her father. "Daddy, he's injured and alone, and the Evil Magistrate has a whole army." Her voice quivered slightly.

"He'll be alright," Miles tried to comfort, but there was doubt in his own voice that was impossible to ignore.

For many minutes Kay could hear nothing but heavy music, along with offhand comments made by both the samurai and the magistrate. She could faintly make out Viola's muffled squeaks as the fight continued.

Something came crashing down, and new voices joined in.

"_We should have known!_" a woman's voice yelled. "_This was all a part of your scheme, wasn't it you despicable man!_"

"_Justice will always prevail! You can feed the lies to us all you want but we will never believe them!_" a younger boy proclaimed.

And the battle had begun again. Unwillingly, the thief found herself chewing on her fingernails, suddenly wishing she could actually see what was happening. She heard a tragic scream of "_Noooo! I will return to defeat you, Steel Samurai!_", then nothing.

"He… he made it!" Viola proclaimed, overjoyed. "His friends came back for him! Ha! Take that, Evil Magistate!" She seemed to be jumping up, excitement overwhelming.

"Is your principal really so much like the Evil Magistrate?" her father asked a moment later, voice steady at last.

"Yeah," the girl replied. Silence engulfed both of them. "And… it was like that, Dad," she began again, her voice suddenly much more quiet. "Today, I mean. I tried to explain what happened but you didn't believe me and took his side instead. All this time, I was just trying to make things right. But…"

"Viola…" Miles said gently. It sounded as though he wasn't sure what to say. He sighed slightly. "I'm sorry. I _should_ have listened to you; in the end, you did mean well, and I know that. But I looked past that to at what you hadn't done right instead."

"I know," she muttered. "You do that a lot." Now her voice had become much softer, like she was struggling just to get the words out.

"And perhaps I shouldn't. But you know I'll always come back for you in the end, like the Steel Samurai's friends did. Though sometimes I might be blinded, I will see again, I promise. Tomorrow, I'll be giving the school a call. They didn't listen to you, and everybody deserves a fair trial."

A moment later, a snorting sound was heard, followed by a small "_oops_" that was almost completely covered by "_nnghhhoooh_!". Then only silence.

Curiosity got the better of her. Kay had already missed so much, and this sounded weird and interesting enough for her. Leaving the bedroom, she quickly walked to the living room, scarcely able to hold back a laugh at the scene in front of her. Hand covering her mouth, she slunk around the corner silently, leaving them be.

Viola's arms were wrapped tightly around Edgeworth, head buried into his chest. He in turn was looking between touched and absolutely flustered as his eyes cast down to the newest harm done to his cravat, the strangest sense of déjà vu hitting him. He sighed, forgetting that and holding on to his daughter carefully, eyes closed.

Ninjas or samurais, thieves or prosecutors, none of it mattered.

In the end, despite the difficulties they'd faced over the years, the makeshift bits and pieces fit together.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there you have it folks. The end.**

**So I need to thank you all for sticking with me through this rollercoaster of a story. It's been a pleasure writing it. In particular, I want to think Gigira (yes, you get a shout out) for allowing me to rant and throw ideas at her, while still giving feedback. Also, thanks to those few other people who I have had awesome AA conversations with in the meantime (you know who you all are); it keeps the inspiration flowing! I'm always happy to accept more friends, guys. I'm a lonely, lonely person.**

**I'm trying my hand at a Klema story next, so keep an eye out! We'll see how that goes.**

**Again, thank you! I hope you've enjoyed!**

**~Clide**


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